The Elemental Saviour
by mayajane
Summary: Hermione goes through a magical change and she doesn't do it alone.
1. The Beginning

Chapter one- The Beginning

Hermione woke up on September 1st ready to head to Hogwarts for her last year. Harry wasn't returning, he was still mourning a huge loss. Ron hadn't made it through the war. Hermione was starting to feel better, trying to focus on the happy things in life, but Harry wasn't having as much luck as she was. He didn't know how to move from a loss that big. Ron had been a brother to him in every way but one. Hermione felt her heart tug a little thinking about him. Ron had been her first love, even if it was puppy love. Sometimes she would start to write him a letter over the summer, as she always did, but then she remembered he was gone and he wasn't going to come back. It just really _hurt._

She shook her head to clear it of those kinds of thoughts. Thinking of Ron wouldn't help her get through one more year of school. She got dressed slowly, since she had woken up with plenty of time to get ready. She wasn't in any hurry. She just wanted this year to be relaxing. Hermione let her mind drift to finding her parents. It hadn't been easy since they moved from the house she put them in, but that was easier than finding out how to put their memories back. It had taken her a month to learn the spell and another month to brew the potion that went along with it. In the end they had received their old memories, but they hadn't embraced her asking if she was alright and telling her how much they loved her. No, they didn't do that at all. They had been cold to her, angry and distant. It took Hermione a few days to drag it out of them. They despised her for using magic on them like that without permission. They said she took away their free will and the more Hermione thought about the more she agreed. So now her parents are angry with her, to what extent, she couldn't be sure. She hoped they would forgive her someday.

Hermione levitated her trunk down the stairs behind her set it down by the bottom of the stairs. Her parents were in the kitchen talking causally until they spotted her at the door.

"I just wanted to tell you I'm leaving." Hermione swore to herself she wouldn't cry no matter what.

Her father said nothing and her mother just stared at her. Hermione shifted her weight onto her other leg and fidgeted with her shirt. Still they said nothing and Hermione felt the tears well up in her eyes, but she blinked them away.

"Mum? Dad?" She asked softly, hopefully. Her dad wouldn't even look at her and they used to be so close.

"I see then. That changes things I guess. I won't be coming back." She said and her mother's eyes softened for just a second and Hermione thought she might say goodbye, but she didn't. Hermione took at step towards her mum but she scooted away from her quickly. The tears did escape then. Her parents were afraid of her!

"I only did it to protect you. You have no idea what they would have done to you." She said shakily. She hadn't ever given the and explanation as to why she took their memories. Her dad looked up at that.

"What are you talking about, Hermione?" He said.

"There was a war in the magical world. He wanted to rid the world of…Mudbloods. I'm a Mudblood, Dad, so they would have come for you. I was…tortured by Death Eaters of the summer. Don't you see I had to protect you? You would have been cursed, raped, tortured anything you can think of it might have happened to you if I hadn't put you somewhere safe." Hermione voice cracked a few times while she was speaking.

"You… were hurt?" Her mother asked doubtfully. Hermione took off her shirt without hesitation, grasping at the moment to show them something that might make them forgive her. The scar from the ministry battle was still red and vivid on her torso. Her dad averted his but Hermione knew that he saw the scar. Her mother however came over to touch it.

"When did you get this?" She asked worriedly. Hermione closed her eyes as she remembered.

"I was fifteen years old when this happened. And I received this a month ago." She showed her mother her left arm and heard her gasp at the sight.

Hermione pulled her shirt back over her head and approached her dad cautiously.

"Daddy?" She asked softly. He shook his head and left the room. Hermione felt a rip in her chest as she watched him go without a goodbye. Her mothers' arms went around her trying to comfort her.

"I'm sorry mum; I just wanted you to be safe." Hermione whispered. She glanced at the clock and rushed out of her mum arms with a swear. She was going to miss the train!

"I'll talk to your father. I love you Hermione. I sorry I doubted you."

Hermione embraced her mother once more before apparating to Kings Cross.

* * *

It was full of people who were rushing to get where ever they were going. Hermione made her way to platform 9¾, trying to be discreet. If she pulled it off she never found out because she went through the wall and stepped into the magical side of the train station. Hermione didn't see anyone she knew so she went and found the first empty compartment she could find. She put her robes on right away and sank down into a seat, feeling quite alone. She was alone the whole ride to Hogwarts; no one came to sit with her. She tried to not let it bother her. Ron was dead, Harry was severely depressed and her parents were still afraid of her. Nothing was going the way she wanted it too.

She made her way to the carriages and ended up ridding up to the castle with third years. Hermione felt this year was going to be bad, she just had a feeling. When wasn't a year at Hogwarts filled with horrible things? She had never had a peaceful year at Hogwarts. Why should this year be any different? The carriages came to a halt just outside the gates of Hogwarts. All the students were filing in but Hermione held back and pulled up the rear of the line. She didn't see Ginny, Luna, Neville, or even Lavender. Was she really the only one that came back? She was proved wrong when she spotted Draco Malfoy sitting by Theodore Nott at the Slytherin table. She shivered with the remembrance of the last time she had seen him. He had looked down at her with pitting eyes as she writhed with agony. He had just stood there watching her suffer at the hands of his psychotic aunt. A part of Hermione knew that he couldn't have done anything for her. He would have been killed on the spot. A bigger part of Hermione hated him for it. She sat down at the Gryffindor table she spotted Ginny and caught her eye. Ginny looked at Hermione for moment before shaking her head and turning around to face Dead Thomas. Hermione felt a lump form in her throat, hurt by Ginny's rejection. Ginny blamed Hermione for Ron's death. Ron had jumped in front of the killing curse for her. He died to protect her, but that left Hermione feeling guilty for something she had no control over. She didn't have anyone here to talk to and that made her feel really lonely.

* * *

The feast was a lot less fun without Ron and Harry. They always turned to her for an explanation when Dumbledore said something they didn't understand. She really missed it. Ron would be stuffing his face as fast as he could and Harry would pick at his plate, because he didn't have a stomach like Ron did. Then Hermione would chastise them for talking so loudly that they were almost screaming.

Hermione made herself pay attention as the students were sorted into their houses. There were only two Gryffindor students, a dozen Ravenclaw students, two Slytherin students and ten Hufflepuff students. It was a very large group of first years. The feast came to a close and Hermione went to her own personal room. Professor McGonagall explained that there wasn't enough bed as it was with the real seventh years and she told Hermione to stay in the room of requirement. It wasn't the ideal place but Hermione didn't mind all that much. She just didn't want to be by herself all the time. Her head of house told her she needed to pick subject become an apprentice. Hermione had a hard time choosing but she ended up picking Potions. There was a lot of money to be made making potions.

The down side of that was her mentor would be Professor Snape. Hermione just hoped he had changed since the war was over and he wasn't a spy any longer. Hermione unpacked her trunk and put everything in its place. The room was huge; equipped with a bathroom and mini library. The room knew her well. She then made her way to the dungeons. Hermione had butterflies in her stomach as she raised her hand to knock on the door.

"Enter." His voice commanded before her hand even touched to door. Hermione pushed the door open and came face to face with her professor. He looked different, younger somehow. His eyes were black, his nose slightly crooked, and he had long stringy black hair, overall he very intimidating and powerful. Hermione could feel the vibration of his magic in the room.

"I assume you want to apprentice Potions? We'll start now." He said curtly. Hermione sighed and followed him into his personal laboratory. Hermione gasped when she saw it. The counters were all stainless steel and everything was organized professionally. It was probably the best laboratory in all of Britain.

"I take it you approve." He said sounding a little amused. Hermione nodded, still gazing at the magnificent room. He even had glass and gold cauldrons! Those were over two hundred galleons a piece.

"Definitely, sir." Hermione answered still in awe.

"We'll be brewing the drought of living death. Do you remember how to make it?" He asked in his teaching voice. Hermione thought about it.

"I remember the ingredients but not the instructions or order they go in." She said, turning to face him. He just nodded at her and started to gather ingredients for the potion. Hermione waited patiently for him to return.

"You have thirty minutes. Start now." He ordered and turned to leave.

"What? I don't remember the instructions, sir."

"I suggest you figure it out then, Miss Granger." He walked out of the laboratory without another word and before she could protest. Hermione looked around and grabbed a cauldron and got to work. The potion was simmering quite correctly twenty minutes later. It smelled absolutely horrible but it was almost done. She was putting the last ingredient in and stirring it counter clockwise when Professor Snape walked in.

"Did you complete the potion?" He asked and Hermione dropped too much toad stool into the potion, startled by his sudden presence. The potion started to boil and exploded right in her face. She was thrown backwards and her head the ground with a crack. The next second Snape was clearing the fire and crouching down next to Hermione. Her face was flushed with mortification. It was her first day and she had already blown something up. She touched the back of her head and it came back red.

"I thought you were more competent than this, Granger!" He snarled hatefully. Hermione felt woozy and his voice faded away as darkness swallowed her whole.

She woke up just a few moments later, with Snape still crouching over her.

"I'm sorry." She whispered and he just sneered down at her. Hermione struggled to sit up, wincing at the pain in her head. It was throbbing.

"Take this." He shoved a potion into her hands and Hermione took it without hesitating, though now she wished she would have at least asked what it was she was taking. Immediately she felt the throbbing recede. She sighed in relief.

"Now, you can go before you ruin anything else. Report back here tomorrow at the same time." He snapped shortly and walked out of the laboratory. Hermione got to her feet with difficulty but when she managed it the walls were spinning and she couldn't feel her legs, though she was standing.

The feeling faded away and she could think clearly again. She had expected this year would hard and lonely but she hadn't expected to be proven right so soon. With a heavy heart she went back to the room of requirement ready to sleep it off and try again tomorrow.

* * *

A/N: This is my newest story since I've finally gotten over my writers block. I hope you guys like it, I have a feeling it will be one of my best.


	2. Revelation

Chapter 2- Revelations.

Hermione left the room of requirement a little after midnight. She couldn't sleep and no matter how hard she tried she couldn't get rid of the feeling that she had disappointed him very much. She wanted to be the best apprentice he had ever had. She wanted to be the best period. She knew now though that she couldn't always be the best. Now Hermione just needed to try hard and be happy with the results she got. She roamed the castle until about four in the morning and then she returned to her room, exhausted and knowing she would pay for it later today. What had she been thinking staying awake so long? Snape wouldn't forgive any mistakes. She fell asleep knowing it would only be for a few hours.

* * *

When morning came Hermione knew something was wrong the moment she opened her eyes. It was still early but when she looked around the room, it was different from when she had gone to sleep. It was a replica of Professor Snape laboratory. She still has an hour before she had to go down to the dungeons. Hermione slid her hands over the stainless steel counters and the gold cauldrons. She smiled before gathering the ingredients for the Drought of the Living Death. She would make sure she would get it right this time.

She didn't forget any steps and she was finished in twenty minutes. Hermione didn't know if it would work but she did her best. She set the burner on low heat and went to get her school robes on. Hermione made it to the dungeons with a few minutes to spare.

"Enter." He said curtly. Hermione made her way in and he led her to the lab without a word.

"Brew it again, correctly and then tell me when you done so we don't have a repeat of yesterday. Is that clear?" He asked dejectedly.

"Yes sir." Hermione responded. She got to work repeating the same steps she had just done in the room of requirement. By the time she was ready to go tell Snape she was done it was near lunch time and her stomach was growling because she also missed breakfast.

"Professor?" She called, opening the door that separated the lab from his personal rooms. It was very cold inside and she spotted him lying on his sofa, asleep. She suddenly felt like she was intruding. Hermione couldn't help but notice the difference in him while he was asleep. He seemed softer, less cruel. He stirred then, opening his eyes to see her staring at him. Her face flushed before he even said anything.

"I take it, you're finished?" He said sarcastically. Hermione nodded and watched as he sat up and stood.

"At least you haven't blown anything up today." He told her, while making his way into the lab. Hermione remained silent and let him inspect her potion. He studied it for a minute before turning to her, "Well done. Now do it again."

Hermione's mouth fell open in disbelief. Again?

"Yes again. You will have to have this particular potion memorized for the exam at the end of your term. It's the most basic potion you'll have to know. The potions only get hard from here on out." He said, without looking up from the potion.

"I know it." Hermione said and he whirled around to sneer at her.

"I am aware. You told me yourself you didn't remember the steps and now you'll be doing this potion every week from now on until there isn't even a small chance you won't get it right. I don't mentor failures Miss Granger." With that he left her to clean up and start again.

Later that day Hermione was sitting in the courtyard, basking in the sun, while reading up on the next potion she would be brewing, Baruffio's Brain Elixir, which increases brain power in whoever takes it. She was startled with a rain drop landed on her book, warping the page. She looked up and saw a massive thundercloud overhead. It started to pour before she could get to safety.

She swore to herself and tried to put her stuff away quickly, but it was no use everything was soaked in seconds. She looked up to the sky and said, "Why won't you stop raining!?"

The next second there was no rain and the cloud was gone. Hermione blinked, confused. Had she done that? That was impossible. Was it? Curiously she said, "Rain."

Water started to pour out of the sky rapidly. Hermione smiled uneasily. Where did that magic come from? She couldn't do wandless magic or at least she hadn't been able to until now. Questions running through her mind she headed to the library.

She set her soaked school things down on a table near the back and went looking for books on magical weather, but that lead nowhere. Hermione turned to the element water, which is where she found a book titled: _The Elementals Guidebook._ Curiously she brought it back to her table and opened the first page.

_Elementals are a rarity in the world; approximately there are only three dozen Elementals alive at a time. Elementals control the four elements; water, earth, fire and air. Each elemental has a certain elements that they come to naturally. It's usually the first element they use. The first recorded elemental was Howard Condell, and his element was earth. There are no limits to what elementals magic can do; it also increases their original wizarding magic._

_There is a downside to being an elemental because of the Leviathans. They feed on an Elementals magic. The leviathans can sense an Elementals magic before they even know they're own powers. When you're attacked by a Leviathan you are stripped from all magic, elemental and wizarding. You'll become a squib. Unfortunately there is no shortage of Leviathans and they are merciless monsters._

Hermione was startled out of her reading when the bell rang. She would need to ask someone about this. The book hadn't said what Leviathans looked like. They could be anything.

The next day Hermione was heading to Professor Snape's rooms, with her book in hand. She was going to try and muster up the courage to ask him about it. Truthfully she just hoped he would see the book and ask her about it himself.

"Enter." He said. Hermione found herself hiding a smile. He said it the same every time she came to do her work.

"Are you ready to get-

He stopped in his tracks when he saw the book in her hands. Hermione gulped waiting for an explosion of anger. But that didn't happen. He took the book from her hands and looked at her sharply.

"Why are you carrying a book like this around, Miss Granger?" He said calmly. Hermione opened her mouth then closed it. How should she say this?

"I think I might be an elemental. I'm not sure yet." She said softly, hoping he would keep his calm.

"Call an element then." He said simply. Hermione stared at him, sure he was joking. She didn't know how to do that.

"How?" She asked him. He sighed, "Just call one."

"Rain." Water poured out from the ceiling and landed over their heads. Hermione watched his face nervously and unconsciously made the water stop before they would get soaked.

"Well done. It looks like I have even more to teach you than I thought. I am also an Elemental but I found out two years ago rather than when I was 18." He said reluctantly. He obviously didn't want to expose so much of himself.

Hermione felt her jaw drop open in surprise but she quickly shut it.

"What…I don't understand. How did I become one?" Hermione asked him. He shook his head.

"You don't become one, you're born one." He explained.

"What does it mean?" She asked.

"Nothing really, just that you're extremely powerful and there are people who would literally kill for that kind of power."

Hermione swallowed thickly, "How do I protect myself?"

Professor Snape tilted his head forward, "By not being an idiot carrying around a book that tells every on who you are. Foolish child!"

Hermione flushed with embarrassment, berating herself. She should have known that.

"I will, however, teach you all the elements. I'm assuming your main element is water. Mine is earth." He demonstrated this by raising the stone floor they were on five feet. Their heads were almost touching the ceiling.

"We will start tomorrow morning, an hour earlier. You'll spend two hours with me and an hour with potions. You do well enough in potions to cut back some. Now, what potion are you brewing today?" He asked, falling easily in the pattern.

"The Baruffio's Brain Elixir, Sir." She said softly and followed him into the lab.

"Get started and come find me when you're done." He snapped, falling back into his old habits now that the elemental thing was done with at the moment.

Hermione reached for the glass cauldron because this particular had to be brew in a glass cauldron because of the ingredients used to make it.

She completed the potion perfectly and was headed back to the room of requirement when she ran right into someone on the way back. She saw it was Ginny who had been knocked to the floor. She held her hand out to help her up, but Ginny glared at her and got up by herself.

"Trying to kill me too, huh?" She asked bitterly. Hermione shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes against her will.

"I can't believe you had the audacity to come back her. Even Harry knows it was your fault. He's dead because of you. How do you live with yourself?" She ranted and Hermione couldn't hold back the tears. A small part of her was telling herself that Ginny was right.

Hermione then heard footsteps coming down the hall and knew it had to be Professor Snape.

"Miss Weasley, detention tomorrow night with your head of house at seven. Do not be late." Professor Snape said, appearing out of nowhere.

"I didn't do anything!" Ginny exclaimed, outraged.

Snape looked down at her with a disgust look on his face. He looked like he really hated her.

"Return to your common room now and you will serve the detention."

"Yes, _sir" _Ginny said and stomped away without a glance to Hermione.

Snape watched her go until she was out of sight before turning to face her.

"You left this in my room." He handed her the book on Elementals.

"Thank you, sir." Her voice cracked because she had been crying. Snape looked like he wanted to say something but he shook his head and went on his way. Hermione didn't know why Ginny blamed her so much. It was all Ron's fault. He didn't have to jump in front of her! She should be the one dead right now. Or at least Ginny thought so. Hermione headed back to her room, ready to read more on elementals. She was excited to learn more about this kind of magic she had all the sudden. Even Ginny's horrible accusations couldn't bring her down after all she'd learned about herself.

When she got back to her room Hermione took off her school robed, hung them up and slipped of her shoes. She climbed into bed and unbraided her hair before settling down and pulling out the book.

_Leviathans can take any shape or form. They can become objects, people, animals, anything at all. Leviathans have been around just as long as Elementals have. They weren't always the great enemy, once upon a time, they were friends and instead of stealing the magic of Elementals, the magic was shared between them. Leviathans need to feed on magic to survive. Elementals only need to use their elemental magic to survive. If they let their magic lay unused it will fight against them and lead to an explosion when a strong emotion occurs. _

Hermione closed the book and set in on the nightstand beside her bed. She was processing what she had just red. These Leviathans were a little scary. How would she know if there was one near?

She told herself she would ask Professor Snape about it tomorrow and she fell asleep.


	3. Taken

Chapter 3- taken

Hermione snuck out of the room of requirement and headed to the library. It was three hours after curfew but she had to know how to find a Leviathan. She'd read through the whole book on elements and there was nothing on the Leviathans other than the short passage she had already read. How else would she protect herself completely? She had to know what she was up against. How did they feed on her magic? What were the common forms they took? Were the born or made? Professor Snape didn't want to hear her endless questions so she was on her own. He refused to answer questions about Leviathans. She had no idea why.

She ducked into a corner when she heard footsteps. Hermione held her breath, staying silent as the footsteps passed. She let out the breath she'd been holding and pulled out her wand to unlock the library doors.

The doors made a loud creaking noise but the footsteps were far enough away so they didn't hear. She went straight to the element section but there weren't any other books that had anything to do with Elementals or Leviathans. Disappointed she turned to leave, but the footsteps were back and right by the door. She put the light she been using out and didn't move a muscle.

"Who is in there?" A voice called. It wasn't a voice she recognized. Hermione got down on her knees and peeked her head around the corner and was shocked to see it was Professor Snape and he was using his wand to disguise his voice. She pulled out of the way just in time to miss his gaze.

"I know you're in here." He said, dropping the façade. Hermione shivered at the sound of his voice. She clutched her wand tightly before standing up and darting across the room, on tip toes.

It would be so embarrassing to be caught by him and then have to see him tomorrow.

"Miss Granger." He called from right behind her making Hermione jump out of her skin. She sighed in defeat.

"Professor." She answered sadly.

"Detention this evening at seven. Good night." He turned to leave and Hermione watched him go with sad eyes.

* * *

Ginny Weasley was not someone who forgave easily. When she had a problem with someone they knew it and it lasted a long time. This mess with that bitch Hermione was a great example. Hermione had basically killed her brother and hadn't even owned up to it. Ginny hated her so much for what she did.

On a different note, something was wrong with her magic. She could still cast spells but it was weak and rather pathetic. Her legendary bat-boogey hex no longer had that kick in it. She also couldn't cast a patronus no matter how hard she tried. Normally she would ask Hermione, but there was no way she would do that now. Not while she couldn't stand to even be around her. Ginny was headed to the library, her last resort. If she didn't find anything she would have to ask her head of house. She would get answers no matter what she had to do to get them. There weren't many people in the library at this time of day. Ginny went to the section that had books on the magical core. There was a book title: _The Ups and Downs of a Magical Core. _ She pulled the book off the shelf and headed to a secluded table in the dark corner of the library.

_The magical core is the center of what a wizard is. Everyone magical core is different to every wizard. The magical core is something that the wizarding world is still trying to figure out. There are a few things that the world has an understanding of. Firstly, you cannot drain your core, it's impossible. There will always be a reserve in your body. Secondly, your magical core can fluctuate in intensity. For example, if you cast a lumos charm twelve times in one day, your core won't be diminished, but if you cast a patronus twelve times in one day , you core will be diminished and your magic won't be as strong as it was. _

Ginny looked up from the book, disappointed. That wasn't the case with her magic. She hadn't overdone her spells at all. She flipped through the book and stopped when she saw a fantastic picture of a woman raised her hands and bringing fire from the earth.

_When you become in touch with your magical core, you have the power to be stronger than your average witch or wizard. It's a lengthy process to touch your magical core. It's also very dangerous that much raw power is enough to shock your body and go into a magical coma. _

Ginny slammed the book shut, frustrated. There was nothing in here that could tell her what was going on with her magic. She would have to go ask her head of house.

As she made her way down to her teachers classroom Ginny thought over what she had read. It made sense, but it wasn't what was wrong with her. She was beginning to get worried. What if she was losing her magic for good? What if she turned into a squib? She would have to leave Hogwarts!

She knocked on the door, leading to the transfiguration classroom.

"Come in." McGonagall said. Ginny opened the heavy door and took a deep breath before stepping inside.

"Miss Weasley, how can I help you?" She asked politely.

Ginny sat down in the chair across from her. She fiddled with her fingers and took another deep breath before answering.

"I think I'm losing my magic."

Silence met her declaration. Ginny looked up from her feet and saw shock written all over her face.

"Why would you think such a thing?" She asked Ginny.

"Because every day spells are becoming harder and harder to do. I can no longer cast a patronus." Ginny explained, waiting for something to click in her head of house's brain. She wanted to be told everything would be alright and that there was nothing to worry about.

"Well, I'll have to look into it, but I'm sure that you're fine. You've probably been practicing to hard."

"But I haven't been. That's what is so strange. I've barely done much magic this whole month." Ginny insisted.

McGonagall looked down at her with piercing eyes, "I said I would look into it Miss Weasley. You may go."

Ginny knew she was dismissed and left the room, furious. Why couldn't things just be simple for once?

* * *

Hermione had had the worst day. Professor Snape had been unbearable with insults left and right. He made her do the potion four times before letting her go. When it was finally over it was a little after noon and she was starving. Hermione also had a detention to look forward too. Oh the joy. She ate ravenously and headed to her room. She was exhausted from being on her feet for hours so she planned a little nap before her detention.

A little nap turned into almost seven hours. It was five minutes till seven when she woke up. She ran faster than she had ever run in her life. Hermione made it with one minutes to spare and Snape didn't comment on how out of breath she was.

"I want you to clean all the cauldrons from the first years lesson today. Get started and I will come get you when you've done enough. Maybe this will teach you not to be out after hours. You are not above school rules, Miss Granger."

Hermione felt her anger surge and she blurted, "I know I'm not above school rules _Professor_ and I'm offended that you would think so!"

He raised one eyebrow in disbelief, "You obviously do or you wouldn't have spoken to me like that. Do you ever do what you're told?"

Hermione just glared at him, willing him to just go away. She was too tired to fight with him.

"I am speaking to you and I expect and answer." He said coldly. Hermione continued to ignore him and kept washing the cauldrons, her anger was building.

"You are insolent! What has possessed you? You've-

Hermione's anger broke then and the room went up in flames, shocking a small scream from her Professor. They were gone in the next second and Hermione was shaking from head to toe.

"I see. Do you feel better now?" Hermione nodded, still shocked from what had just happened.

"Sometimes it just builds up for no reason and has to be let out. I suspected that was your problem." He told her sounding very condescending.

"Well now that that's settled may I continue cleaning? I would like to be done before curfew, Sir."

Professor Snape stared at her for one moment before let out a laugh.

"You didn't seem to mind last night now did you?" He said, smirking just a little.

Hermione flushed and shook her head. "Yes, sir."

Why did she always blush around him? It was getting ridiculous.

"You've done enough, I think, you may go. We'll practice some more with fire tomorrow as well." He said calmly.

Hermione got to her feet and set the cauldron she was working on aside. She looked up at him with curious eyes. His face was a plain one with a bent nose and thin lips. She, however, didn't mind that at all. Startled by where those thoughts were leading she turned to leave before she could do or say anything horrible embarrassing.

She was on her way back to her room when she heard footsteps behind her, at first she didn't think anything of it, but the kept coming closer, and louder. She picked up her pace but still the footsteps were almost at a run. Hermione whirled around, wand at the ready. There was nothing there. She let out the breath she'd been holding and turned to go back to her room.

Ginny stood there smiling at her. Hermione screamed loud enough to hurt her own ears.

"Ginny! You scared me to death!" Hermione exclaimed but the smile never left Ginny's face.

Ginny reached out her hands and Hermione hesitated before taking them. Immediately she knew something was terribly wrong. Ginny intertwined their fingers and squeezed hard. Hermione screamed again as pain shot through her arms. She could feel the magic leaving her. Ginny's eyes were glowing green and black and she was whispering words Hermione didn't understand. Hermione started to feel dizzy and when Ginny finally let go she collapsed. The last thing she heard was Ginny's footsteps walking away slowly.

* * *

A/N: Reviews Please!


	4. Deeper

Chapter 4- Deeper

Minerva had called the staff meeting two weeks ago but there were news things to discuss with the staff. She couldn't believe she was housing two elementals and a leviathan. The staff meeting was at eight on a Saturday morning. Minerva McGonagall and Severus Snape were speaking in hushed voices, while the other teachers sat by idly, wondering what was going on.

"She was attacked and she refuses to say who it was, Minerva. There cannot be a Leviathan inside Hogwarts' walls because Miss Granger and I have no way to fight against their raw power, or at least we can't yet. I'm still new to this kind of magic. We need to find out who it is and make arrangements. They cannot stay." Snape told her in a whisper. He was trying to make the seriousness of the situation clear to her, but she didn't seem to understand where he was coming from. His other coworkers had no idea that he had elemental magic and he preferred to keep it that way. He didn't want the entire staff to know that about him. It was something that a lot of wizards liked to take advantage of. There were bonding ceremonies that he could easily fall into by accident. He had to be careful because if he been caught in a bond that person would be able to use his magic, which would drain him the same was a Leviathan would. He would become a squib if he was forced into a bond. Severus liked to think he was bright enough to not fall into a trap like that. Or at least he hoped so.

Minerva raised her head and looked like she trying to say something but couldn't get the words out.

"I fear I know who it is, but we cannot just throw her away as if she is nothing but a monster. That is not the case, Severus, and you know it."

"I know no such thing! She will feed and feed until we are squibs!" Severus argued angrily. The staff watched in awe as their voice started to get louder and louder. They were wondering what on earth could be so urgent and important. They couldn't really hear what they were saying and didn't think it was meant for their ears so they remained quiet while they talking in whispered tones.

"What have you read about Leviathans Severus? Do you even know how they come to be? When a certain student came to my office complaining that she might be losing her magic, my mind went straight to you because you told me that where ever an Elemental dwells a Leviathan finds its way to you. I believe that is what has happened. So after the student came to me I read up on the Leviathans. They are not born, but they manifest in someone who has potential. I don't know how to recognize potential but that's why she has become a Leviathan. She had the potential. The book I read was rather vague about that so I don't really know how it happens. I do know that she is _not_ a monster and she has no idea what she has become. I didn't know how to explain such a thing so I said nothing at all. We have to deal with this cautiously, Severus."

Severus glared at her, furious, "Miss Granger was attacked! She could have been turned into a squib and you worried about a student who is hurting other students?"

Minerva frowned at him, "This is not black and white Severus. No one here is going to be attacked again, I can swear to that."

"You cannot promise that!" He spat furiously. He stood then and left the room, feeling all eyes on him. He couldn't believe that he wasn't being heard.

"Well then, let's get on with the meeting. Are any students struggling in any classes?" Minerva asked as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred.

* * *

Severus Snape was fuming! How dare she stick up for that monster, never mind that it was a student? A monster was a monster, nothing more. Who could it be? She had admitted it was a girl. Severus couldn't think of anyone who it might be and he was growing more and more frustrated. He was telling himself that he was just worried about him but he knew he was mostly worried about Hermione Granger. Why did he feel like this? She was just his student. That's all she is. He told himself that she was next to nothing to him.

He just wished he believed it. He didn't want to notice her chocolate brown eyes, her small button nose, or her luscious hair that flowed everywhere. No he did not want to notice those things. It was a dangerous path he was heading towards; one that would likely end and hurt and humiliation. The sight of her lying there, almost broken, had tugged at his heart in a way he thought would never happen again. It was worry. He was worried about her. Why? That was the question he been asking himself for two days. When had she come to mean something to him? Was it how much time they spent together. The magic they shared brought them closer. They were the same on a magical level, full of raw magic, but unable to access it fully. They could only do the bare minimum. The simple things like calling the elements. Calling and controlling are two very different things. It's simple to call water, fire, earth and air, but controlling it was harder and more complex. Severus had been practicing for two years and he still hadn't mastered it yet. He wasn't going to give up, but now he felt the tiniest inkling of fear. A Leviathan was in the castle right this moment. He shivered at the thought.

The familiar knock on his door startled him out of his stupor.

"Enter." He said in a softer voice than usual. She came in, and he noticed right away something wasn't right.

"What is it?" He asked instantly.

"My magic is really weak, I don't think I can practice with elemental magic today." She explained and her face got paler with every word.

"Sit down before you fall down." He ordered and he was surprised when she complied. Shock must have shone on his face because she let out a weak laugh.

"I am capable of listening when I want to, you know." She told him

Severus smirked ruefully and then frowned. This wasn't him, behaving like this. He wasn't a happy person. He was a loner, everything about him was private. He didn't _share _things with other people. He had always been alone. His father was a drunk and his mother died when he was sixteen. He'd been on his own since then and he had figured he always would be. He still thought that, but this stupid feeling for that girl was ruining everything. How had it come to this? He never should have accepted her as an apprentice. In the end he had no one to blame but himself for what he was feeling. He couldn't very well blame _her_ could he?

"Professor?" She asked and he turned his attention back to her.

"Are you well enough to brew?" He asked her, his voice reflecting nothing of what he'd just been thinking. It was horrible the things he was thinking about her. He found her so beautiful it hurt.

"What will we be brewing?"

"_You_ will be brewing Vertiaserum today." He clarified. He didn't want to be around her right now, not with these thoughts floating around in his mind.

"Oh! I don't know how to make it." She complained.

"Then read up on it. You have the whole day."

"Alright, sir." She said and went about gathering ingredients for the potion. Severus tried to not watch the sway of her hips as she sauntered around the room. He failed miserably. It was hard to come to terms with such a thing. He wasn't that kind of man, a man that goes after what he wants. He was a man that took what he was given and made the most of it. There was no one that would give him her.

What would she do if she knew the things he was thinking of her?

* * *

Hermione noticed there was something on Professor Snape's mind. He kept muttering things she couldn't hear but he seemed upset. She didn't dare ask him. He wouldn't answer for one and he probably would tell her to get out. On the other hand she was really excited about this potion. It was a very advanced one. She pulled out her text book and flipped through to the more advanced potions, scrolling down until she found it.

There were over forty different ingredients in total and they each had a certain way to be prepared. Then there was the exact timing of each ingredient and a certain kind of stir. Some were half a circle of the golden cauldron and others were counter clockwise, clockwise and a letting the potion simmer for four seconds before picking up the stirring again. It was a very intricate potion.

With the steps finally memorized and hour later she started to work on the ingredients and soon lost herself in the potion.

* * *

Ginny woke up Saturday morning with a feeling content, as if she had a good night's sleep. A smile plastered itself onto her face and refused to leave. Ginny suddenly realized that she didn't remember going to bed last night or what she did after dinner. What did she do? Why couldn't she remember? The other thing that was curious was that she just felt powerful in general. It was like she could do anything.

Curiously, she pulled out her wand, "_Expecto Patrounum_!" A wisp of smoke spun around and around until it settled on a new form. A large mountain lion was charging around the room and came to rest at her feet, purring.

Ginny grinned, mesmerized by the new form of her patronus. But she was also confused. Where did all this magic come from? Yesterday she could barely produce a lumos charm. This was getting really strange but she decided to just go with it. What else could she do? Her head of house wasn't any help at all. She would just have to figure this out for herself. Ginny was very concerned about her new patronus. Why would it change its form all the sudden? Maybe she could ask Professor Flitwick since he was the charms teacher.

She was headed down to his class room when she ran straight into someone. She got to her feet, apologizing. Then she recognized him. It was Harry and when he looked up she tackled him, kissing every inch of his face.

"What are you doing here!?" She exclaimed, elated. Harry smiled happily down at her.

"I missed you is all. I needed to see you. It's been too long, you know?" He said and kissed her properly. Ginny wrapped her arms around him, forgetting what she had planned to do before Harry has arrived. She looked around and saw the common room was empty, everyone must be in Hogsmeade, and she pulled harry upstairs to her room.

Once they were there she pulled her shirt up over her head and cast it aside. Harry's eyes widen with surprise but he didn't question her. He pulled off his clothes and joined her on the bed. Ginny pulled him down on top of her, kissing his neck. He rolled them so Ginny was on top. He reached around her and with a snap of his fingers; her bra fell to the ground. Ginny grinned down at him and kissed her way down his chest and was about go even further when footsteps could be heard coming up to the room. Ginny spelled the curtains around her bed to not open and held her breath, willing the footsteps to pass.

She heaved a sigh when they did and looked down at Harry, who looked very uncomfortable.

"I-

He started to talk but she silenced him with a kiss and he didn't fight back as they fell into bed with each other. Ginny was happy to have him and she showed him as much.

* * *

A/N: I hope this explains so of the questions you had. Review please!


	5. Harry

Chapter 5-Harry

Harry woke up covered in warmth and when he looked down it was clear why. Ginny was sprawled over his bare chest, her red hair covering her face. She still slept peacefully; he could feel the rise and fall of her chest. Trying not to wake her, he maneuvered her off of him and slipped out of the bed to put his clothes on. He wanted- no needed to go see Hermione before he left. She hadn't written him any letters and he had been too scared to send one to her. What if she blamed him for Ron's death? It had been his fault that he was even there. It was his fault that anyone was there. It was all his fault, he knew it, wasn't afraid to admit it.

He made his way to the room of requirement, remembering that was where she had planned to stay before she left for Hogwarts. He paced back and forth, opening the door to the room. Hermione was lying in her bed fast asleep. Harry sat down at the edge of her bed, and gently shook her awake.

Her eyes opened slowly and when they saw Harry she just stared for a moment before slowly sitting up. Harry saw deep circles under her eyes and how pale she was.

"Harry, what are you doing here?" She asked softly. Harry smiled sadly at her.

"I came to visit Ginny and I couldn't leave without seeing you." He saw her flinch visibly at Ginny's name, but he didn't understand why.

"That's very nice of you, Harry. I'm sorry I didn't write, I've been really busy with my apprenticeship and well it's a lot of work." She explained lamely. She knew it would only take a few minutes to send Harry and a letter.

"I didn't think you would want a letter from me, after what I did." He admitted miserably. Hermione stared at him, confused.

"What did you do?" she asked him. Harry ran his hands through his messy hair and his green eyes were filled with despair.

"It's my fault that Ron died. I know it and I'm sure you know it too."

Hermione was so furious in an instant. She reached out and pulled harry close by the collar of his shirt.

"I want you to listen to me carefully. You did not kill Ron. Voldemort killed him and you killed the bastard too." Hermione released his shirt

Harry had tears running down his face but he wiped them away and cleared his throat before nodding at her.

"You're right. You're always right." He muttered. Hermione suddenly pulled him into a fierce hug and told him how much she missed him.

"I've missed you too, 'Mione." He whispered, hugging her back.

"So how have you been?" He asked her changing the subject.

"Oh I've had a wonderful time so far." She lied, "I can hardly believe how many potions I have to remember how to brew to become a Potions Master."

"Potions? I thought you were….With Snape! Hermione what were you thinking?!" His voice was getting louder and he jumped to his feet.

"You can't become a potions master! That means you'll be around him all the time!"

"Harry Potter, sit down." She said coolly. He complied after a moment's hesitation.

"I'm only going to say this once and you had better listen. I do not need your permission or approval to do anything. I can do what I please. So but out. Do you understand?"

"But its Snape, he's been horrible to you for years!" He argued.

Hermione sighed and got up from her bed. "He's changed. He hardly ever insults me." She told him even though that wasn't entirely true.

"Are you sure?" He asked her worriedly. Hermione smiled at him and got to her feet, pulling Harry into a hug again.

"I'm sure."

"Well let's go get Ginny and we can all catch up." Harry said and headed towards the door. He turned around Hermione didn't follow him. He took in here sad expression and asked,

"What wrong?"

Hermione looked down at her feet, "You don't know then. "

"What don't I know?" He demanded.

"You weren't there when he died. I was. So was Ginny. Ron- he….he jumped in front of me to stop the curse from hitting me. Ginny she blames me and she wishes I were dead instead of Ron. I can't go near her and i- I'm sorry for not telling you." She looked up at him and looked away when she saw betrayal there.

"You should have told me. Same for Ginny. Come on we'll sort this out now."

He pulled on her arm, but she pulled away, "I'm sorry but I can't."

"Why not? Why do you look so scared?" He asked and Hermione shook her head.

"I'm sorry. I'll write you from now on, okay. I was really good to see you."

Harry didn't move, "What aren't you telling me?" He demanded.

"Harry…."

"No, I'm tired of secrets. Tell me."

Hermione sat back down on the bed trying to think of what to say, "I want to Harry, but it's too dangerous for you to know. I'm really sorry."

Harry glared down at her, "Is it really that serious?" He bit out.

"Yes." She answered.

Harry left without a goodbye and headed toward Ginny's room but he didn't have to go very far. She was waiting for him around the corner from Hermione room.

"Where have you been? I wake up and you're gone!" She hissed.

Harry held up his hands, "I wanted to see Hermione before I had to go." Harry watched her reaction. At first she just stared at him like she was waiting for him to take back what he had just said.

"Why the fuck were you with her?" She asked finally. Harry raised an eyebrow but didn't get angry. He wanted to hear what she was going to say.

"She's my best friend Ginny." He explained calmly.

"Ron was your best friend and it's her fault that he died." She yelled in his face.

"You're so wrong. Ron chose to die protecting her. That was his choice. You have no right to be angry with Hermione and I'm disgusted with you. I think its best that we take a break until you can mourn your brother. You need time to heal and I understand that. I need that too." Harry said comfortingly. Ginny however was far from comforted.

"You're breaking up with me because of her!?" She screamed. Harry thanked Merlin that they were alone in the hallway.

"I said we were taking a break Ginny. You need time to get your priorities straight."

"Harry you can't break up with me! I love you!" She pleaded. Harry sighed.

"Were not breaking up, just taking a break! Now do you know if there anything else going on with Hermione? She seemed off…"

"All I know is that she spends every day all day with Snape. I try to keep my distance." She said and was about to keep going when Harry but her off.  
He bent down to kiss her on the mouth for a second before standing up and heading down to the dungeons. He needed to get some answers from an enemy. He and Snape had an unspoken agreement of sorts. I hate you but glad you're not dead type of thing. He knocked on Snape's door and waited.

"Enter."

"Potter! What on earth?" He exclaimed in surprise.

"I wont be staying long I can promise. I just need you to tell me what wrong with Hermione. She seems afraid and she said it was too dangerous for me to know. That can only mean something you would know about. She would have told a teacher."

"Potter I cannot and will not help you. You may leave."

"I'm not leaving until I know what wrong with my best friend." Harry insisted.

"It is, as she said, too dangerous for you to know."

"Is she safe?" Harry asked instead.

Severus Snape stood and walked around his desk and came to face the bane of his existence.

"I can promise you that she will be safe. I can make sure she is. That is all you need to know until she decides it safe for you to know." It was the first time Snape had ever been truly honest with the boy,- no man in front of him. After everything they had been through together Snape found himself unable to hate him. It was true that he had loved the boy's mother with all his heart and it was true that he had spent his life paying for the mistake that had gotten her killed. He also spent the rest of his life protecting the man in front of him. This boy had seen his memories and that made it impossible for them to hate each other.

"I guess that's the best I'm going to get. Thank you Professor." Harry left him standing there and made his way past the gates of Hogwarts before apparating home.

* * *

A/N: This was just a short filler chapter about Harry. Thank you guys for all the reviews. Keep 'em coming!


	6. Training

Chapter 6- Training

Hermione was so exhausted. She didn't know if it was from the attack or if she was simply not getting the sleep she needed. Either way she was headed to the dungeons for another lesson in elemental magic. Professor Snape had taught her all she needed to know for her final Potions exam. Hermione felt confident that she would do well on them since Professor Snape had made her repeat the potions until she could do them in her sleep. So their focus was the Elemental magic.

She hadn't really mastered any of the four elements, but she was very close. They were going to work more with water today, since that was her element. She was also doing very well with fire and air, but she wasn't having any luck with earth which was strange because that was Professor Snape's element and he was trying to be patient with her but she could tell he was getting frustrated with her inability to perform with earth.

She really was trying but it just wasn't working right. There was a kind of block there when she tried to use it. She didn't know what to do. Hermione hadn't explained that to him yet, she planned to today.

"Enter." He said his usual greeting. Hermione entered and tried to hide how tired she was. He wasn't fooled.

"Your pet Potter came to see me." He told her as soon as she shut the door. Hermione blinked at him, confused.

"Why would Harry come see you?" She asked him curiously. Snape snorted nastily.

"He was _concerned _about you. He wanted to know what you were keeping from him. I hadn't realized you hadn't told him. I though you would tell him everything." He said and Hermione was surprised. She hadn't realized she thought about her enough to think that. That was interesting.

"No, Harry and I were never close enough to tell each other everything. Ron was the reason we were as close as we were. He held us together. Harry and I are only now getting to understand each other more. Ron both of our best mates. Now he's gone though…" Hermione flushed realizing she was oversharing.

Snape didn't seem to notice or he pretended not to. "Why haven't you told him?"

"I didn't think I should? Isn't it dangerous?" Hermione asked, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She was so tried her eyes were feeling heavy.

"That depends on how good a friend he is. If he doesn't tell anyone then I see no harm in informing him of your new status."

She looked up at her professor and smiled at him. He smiled back for a short moment before returned to his usual neutral expression.

"Now, let us start with Water. I want you to conjure and freeze the water at the same time. Understand?"

Hermione nodded once and went to pull out her wand but he reached his hand over and stopped her hand from reaching it. Hermione froze at the warm feel of his skin on hers. He was so much warmer than she expected, not that she had been expecting to touch him of course.

"Wandlessly, please." He told her and let go of her arm as if it had never happened. Hermione shook her head and wiped the smile of her face.

"Alright." She conjured the water and tried to turn it ice cold but it was too hard. It was like trying to use a needle and thread in the dark. She just couldn't quite get it right.

"This is pointless. I can't do it!" She finally said after two hours of trying. She wasn't one to give up but she knew when to accept reality.

"You've hardly given it a try!" Professor Snape said exasperatedly. Hermione glared up at him, with a frown. She had been trying. She'd been trying her hardest and he didn't have any room to say she wasn't trying.

"I have too!" She replied nastily. Hermione set her wand down on a nearby desk, ready for a break.

"You were getting so close, why give up now?" He demanded, stepping oh so close. He was right in her face, she could feel his breath on her face.

"The water was barely cold at all, let alone frozen. I just can't do it, Sir!" Hermione answered, but as she spoke her eyes drifted down his face, settling on his thin lips. Everything about him drew her in, made her want to find out everything about him. He didn't seem to notice her lapse in attention.

"You haven't tried hard enough. If you had been you would have gotten in right." He told her seriously. He believed what he was saying without a doubt. Hermione felt her breathing quicken because he was so close and she wanted him to kiss her. She felt her eyes slip close, but she didn't tilt her head. What if she was imaging the whole thing? What if he wanted nothing to do with her?

She felt him move closer fractionally, but then he moved away, without even touching her. She exhaled in disappointment. She told herself it was good that he pulled away. It wouldn't have been appropriate.

"Try again. Picture it in your mind." He said in a serious tone. Hermione forced herself to not roll her eyes. That was what she had been doing and it obviously wasn't working.

"Miss Granger, just try again. You have to really want it." He said softly, but with a tone she'd never heard him use. It seemed…husky in a way. Hermione closed her eyes and slowly raised her hands. Rain poured from the ceiling cold enough to make her start to shiver. She let the water fall on her for a few moments before visualizing the rain turning into snow.

She heard Professor Snape let out a breath and she opened her eyes. Snow was falling slowly, landing in the tangles of her hair. She grinned over at him, elated beyond belief. She was still week and tired, but that couldn't bring her down after a moment like that.

"Congratulations, you've mastered the element water." Professor Snape said with a barely concealed smile.

Hermione watched him with careful eyes, drinking in the expression on his face. He looked happy. She had made him look happy, Hermione thought longingly. Why did she have to want him? Was her life never simple? She didn't even know if he would even consider her that way.

"I think that is enough for today. You did a fabulous job." He told her before turning away, but Hermione suddenly made up her mind.

She grabbed his arm gently and as he was looking up at her with a question in his eyes, she brought his lips down on hers. He made a strangled sound and made to pull away but she held him close and opened his mouth with her, tasting him. Coffee mingled with peppermint, a delicious combination. She moaned when his hands came round her back and lifted her to sit on the edge of his desk. While he was kissing her senseless his hands her running up and down her thighs, creating warmth. She pulled away for air and he looked regretful, but she didn't leave him time to think, because she pulled him close with her legs, interlocking them with her ankles, so he situated between her legs.

"We-

She kissed him again, not wanting to hear his excuses and apologies. They'd been dancing around this for weeks now. His hand cupped either side of his face and pulled her away from him. He looked into her eyes before moving away from her.

"That was a mistake. I am your teacher."

"Don't say that. It wasn't a mistake. It was…everything." Hermione whispered and her eyes started to sting. It hurt to hear him say that.

"It was a mistake, Miss Granger. It wont happen again or I will have to stop teaching you. That would be unfortunate for you because you have much to learn. You are still a child in many ways."

Anger bubbled up inside her in a way she hadn't felt in a long time. "How dare you! You didn't seem to think I was a child a few minutes ago. Why are you doing this?" She snapped, hopping down off his desk.

"I am you teacher!" He said as if that explained everything. Hermione crossed the distance between them.

"You're my mentor and I am 18 years old. I am no child. I know what I want and you can't say that you don't want me as well." Hermione told him, backing him into a corner.

"Stupid child, can't you see you're imagining things. I don't want you! I'm old enough to be your father!" He snapped angrily.

"But you aren't my father. I can't believe you're being a coward. You're afraid of what people would say. That's it isn't it?" Hermione accused.

His face turned red with anger and Hermione waited for the explosion.

"Get out!" He yelled, but Hermione wasn't going to leave.

"Listen to me carefully, Severus Snape, if I leave now, I won't be back. If you kick me out because things aren't going your way I won't be back. Our lessons will be over and I'll take my exams and become a potions master and I move on with my life. I'll be gone. Is that what you want? To never see me again? If that's the case consider me gone."

The look on his face, one of shock, was horrifying to her. Was she doing the right thing demanding this from him? She couldn't do this to him. She couldn't bare being away from him.

"Or we can pretend this never happened and go on." She whispered, even though it hurt her to forget it, she could do it.

"This never happened. We'll start with earth tomorrow. Goodnight." He turned away from her but she didn't let him go. She placed a small kiss on his lips and smiled at him,

"It's forgotten."

She said goodnight and slipped out the door, not letting the tears fall until she was safely in her room. A hiccupping sound came from deep inside her chest and she started to cough because the tears were coming on too fast and couldn't keep her breath stable. She fell asleep after a few minutes; it was nice to go into a peaceful sleep. The reality was too harsh. Why oh why did she have to feel these things for a man like him?

* * *

A/N: Really nervous about this chapter. Let me know how I did!


	7. A Friendly Discussion

Chapter 7- A Friendly Discussion

_Dear Harry,_

_Things have been fairly normal since you came to visit. I am very sorry for getting how Ron died from you. I didn't see how telling you would accomplish anything. I also just didn't want you to blame me the way Ginny did. I'm really sorry that I doubted you. _

_I have something to tell you and you aren't going to be very happy with me once you hear it. I know you went to Professor Snape about me and I have to tell you that was a horrible thing for you to do. You know he doesn't care much for me and he cares even less for you. Just keep our business between us. _

_I won't tell you what's happened to me in a letter, because I can't risk anyone finding out. I hope we can see each other soon so I can explain. I trust you not to tell a soul about this letter or what I'll tell you when we meet again._

_Love, Hermione._

Hermione tied the letter around an owl's leg and watched it fly off into the distance. She hoped Harry would understand how important it was to keep this secret. Hermione was feeling worse than she had in a while. She was just exhausted, pretending nothing happened between them. It had happened and he'd run away. She had caused him to run away, retreat into himself. Their lessons were no longer fun or alight with smiles and laughter like before. Her heart hurt every time she tried to get smile at him and he only stared at her blankly. It was like their entire friendship had disappeared. Hermione realized then, that it was gone. She'd ruined the only good relationship she had. Harry was still too distant to be a close friend at the moment. Maybe that would change, but right now she just couldn't stand the loneliness.

It was no longer fun learning the elemental magic, for one it wasn't as strong as it was before the attack. Hermione couldn't tell anyone what Ginny had done because it would break Harry's heart, but now she didn't have a choice. He had to know. What if Ginny attacked her again and no one was there to help her? She could have been turned into a squib! There had to be something she could do for Ginny, despite how she'd been treating her lately, Hermione still felt that she couldn't just throw aside the friendship they had shared. She didn't want to desert her.

Hermione was headed back to the room when she was grabbed from behind. A scream got caught in her throat and she was ready to pull out her wand, when she saw it was just Harry.

"How did you get here so fast?" She said, breathless. Harry grinned at her but then his smile fell and he turned serious.

"What do you need to tell me?" He asked in a whisper. Hermione led him to the room of requirement, so they wouldn't be overheard. It would be her luck that someone would overhear and spread it around the entire school.

"Okay, the first thing you need to know is that I'm an Elemental. That means that I can control earth, water, fire, and air. I know that is a lot to take in, but I hope you can try to understand. Professor Snape had been teaching me all about it." Hermione tried to say his name without giving away how much it hurt to even think about him.

"That's good news, Hermione you said that I wouldn't like what you had to say." Harry reminded her.

Hermione smiled sadly at him, "Do you know what a Leviathan is?"

"Some type of dark monster, right?" He offered and Hermione nodded.

"They feed on elemental magic, Harry." She said and waited for it to sink in.

"Did one attack you? How is that possible when you've been at Hogwarts this whole time?" Harry shook his head trying to make sense of it.

"This is the part you're not going to like. Ginny…she has become a Leviathan, Harry. I haven't told a soul except for you. Not even Professor Snape knows. She is protected as long as she isn't caught."

Harry's mouth fell open and then his eyes narrowed with anger and disbelief.

"That's a horrible thing to say, Hermione. Why would you-

"That's exactly it Harry! I wouldn't make this up. I love Ginny, we were like sisters! She doesn't remember what she did to me and I've been looking for something, anything that will protect her and me simultaneously. Please believe me." Hermione pleaded, her eyes welling up with tears. She blinked them away, irritated that she was starting to cry.

"This is impossible Hermione…I can't…."

"You must! I wouldn't lie to you. I could never lie to you Harry!"

"Ginny would never hurt you no matter what's going on with you too." Harry said surely. Hermione bit her lip trying to find a way to respond. To say something that would help Harry understand.

"She doesn't remember it Harry. She doesn't know what she is." Hermione explained and Harry just looked more and more bewildered as the seconds went by.

"How is that possible? Why doesn't she remember? What did you do?" Harry snapped, confused.

Hermione struggled to keep calm, fear rising inside her. What if he said something to Ginny and it got around the school and maybe even back to Severus? Did she have enough power to oblivate him?

"Harry… I need you to give me your word you'll never breathe a word of this to anyone."

Harry shook his head, "This is lies. Ginny-

"I understand that you love her Harry, I love her too, but she is going through something that I cant help her with and neither can you. She has to figure it out on her own. Now give me your word." Hermione commanded.

Harry's eyes were tearing up, but he shook his head once more.

"If you don't Harry I'll be forced to Oblivate you. I really don't want to do that. You're my only friend. I don't have anyone else. Please, Harry." Hermione knew Harry was powerful, but she was more so.

Harry finally looked me in the eyes and I saw how torn he was. "Okay, I won't tell a soul. You have my word."

Hermione let out a heavy sigh of relief. "Thank you. Would you…would you like to see some Elemental Magic?" She said cautiously, trying to ease the tension in the room.

Harry nodded hesitantly, completely unprepared for what would come next. Hermione called water to her and felt the magic course through her veins and the raw magic made her fingertips tingle.

Harry's mouth fell open when he saw the picture in front of him. Crystal clear water swirled around his best friend in a circle before disappearing into the air. Hermione smiled at him uncertainly. What if he still thought she was lying? This was Harry, she reminded herself. She could trust him.

"That was amazing Hermione. I always knew you were special. Better than me in everything. Ron knew it too, you know. He knew how special you are." Harry said thickly. That made her heart thud with guilt because of how she was feeling about Severus, but she didn't let it bother he too much. Ron was gone and he would want her to move on.

Harry stood and hugged her goodbye, getting her to promise to write him every week. She watched him go with anxious eyes. She prayed he wouldn't say anything to Ginny. The consequences would be very bad.

* * *

A/N: I know its short and took a while. The next chapter should be longer and up sooner. Thanks for all the support!


	8. Asking For Help

A/N: I want to warm everyone that this chapter is very...disturbing I guess. It's morbid, but I don't think its all that bad. You guys can decide. This is part of Ginny's transformation so it was necessary.

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Chapter 8- Asking For Help

Ginny lay still on the bathroom floor, her red hair was covering her face. She had been there since dinner time the night before. She suddenly awoke with a gasp, having been a sleep for such a long time.

"Where am I?" She whispered to herself. Why wasn't she in her room? She sat up slowly, her body strangely sore and abused. She couldn't remember ever coming to the bathroom. What was going on? Her eyes were blurry and everything was unfocused. Her head was pounding so much that she swayed when she tried to get to her feet.

Flashes of memories were shooting along the walls of the tiled bathroom. The first was Hermione walking down the hall, then Harry kissing her, and even eating lunch with Luna in the great hall. The images moved along the walls in slow motion, flickering in and out of focus. She spun around, hearing footsteps but there was no one there and more pictures just kept coming and coming. Things turned darker then, the images morphing into things that were horribly morbid. Slaughtered bodies lay all over the floor, twitching limbs and she could hear the drip drip drip of the blood. Machines she didn't recognize pulled people apart, stretching them so far their skin ripped under the pressure and she could hear their screams! Ginny let out a scream herself, a scream so loud that it echoed throughout the entire seventh floor. It was a scream that wasn't even human.

She looked down at her hands, now covered in blood, a beautiful crimson color, that matched her hair.

"So evil…" A hiss said. She jumped and spun every which way, but there was no one. She was all alone, stuck in her own mind.

"Dirty…."

"Little…"

"Girl…"

Ginny felt the tears run down her face. She was so scared. What was happening?

"Crying…for her mommy?" The voice was louder, a soft tone now, more than a whisper, but only just.

"Leave me alone!" Ginny shouted to the ceiling. But when she looked up she screamed. The bodies were pinned to the ceiling, dripping their blood into the sinks in the center of bathroom. She was pushed forwards, her hands falling into one of the sinks. The blood went up above her wrists and she tried to pull away but there was no escape. It felt like strong hands were holding her in the blood filled sink. She yanked and pulled but nothing would let her free.

"Evil…"

"Little…"

"Girl…"

The voices were making her head pound and throb with pain. Her hands were suddenly freed and she fell, backing away from the sink, all the while tracking their blood along the floor. She started to hyperventilate; looking around the room for whatever would come next.

"Ginny?"

She screamed and backed away from the door. It looked like Harry, but how could she be sure?

"Stay away." She ordered trying to be stern, but her voice cracked, ruining the effect.

"Ginny, hun, it's just me. Harry."

"I don't know that!" Ginny said, backing away until she slammed against the far wall. She saw a black figure appear behind him, raising an axe. Her heart jumped up her throat with fear.

She screamed for Harry to move but he didn't and the axe fell into his head, slicing it in half. Brain matter slipped out and oozed onto her feet. Her heart felt like it had burst open and a loud sob ripped from her chest.

"No! _Harry! _Wake up, get up!" She pleaded and begged but his head remained split. She looked around for the black figure but it was gone and when she looked back down at Harry he was also gone.

Horribly shaken and defeated, she slipped down to her knees and started to cry, smearing blood onto her face.

"Are you alright?"

She didn't scream but looked up and waited for the little girl standing in front of her to do something. She looked like she was seven or eight, too young for Hogwarts.

"It's just the start of lunch so you should probably head that way. You are alright, aren't you?"

Ginny suddenly felt stupid, she could have just left the bathroom. She climbed to her feet, fighting the wave of dizziness. She pulled on the door, but it wouldn't open, and trying not to panic, she tried again.

Nothing.

"Ginny…" The little girl whispered and she slowly turned around, eyes wide with terror. She let out a sob when she saw the girl. She was missing parts of her face and had a gaping hole through the middle of her stomach.

"Ginny… come play with me." She said again, moving closer. Her feet were rotted but she somehow moved quickly. Ginny ran, but the girl reappeared everywhere she went.

"What do you want?" She yelled at the top of her lungs.

"I want you to play. I like to play." The girl said and one of her arms fell to the ground, rotted through. Ginny backed away, whimpering.

"I don't want to play!" Ginny shouted, pulling on the door, trying to rip it open. She didn't have her wand or anything. How was she supposed to get out of here?

Suddenly something occurred to her. What if she wasn't going to get out, what if she had to stay here with this disgusting magic forever?

"Play…Ginny…Play with me…" The little girl said, but her voice was projected now and it echoed all over.

"I said I…. oh dear merlin…" The girl had lost both of her legs and was crawling towards her, dragging her body with one arm. Her skin was tinged blue and purple, and was decaying as she came closer.

"Play…" She said in a strangled whisper.

Ginny felt the fight come back to her and she raised her foot and slammed it down in the girl's brain. The girl crumpled and disappeared in a line of smoke. Ginny looked down at herself and saw she was clean again. The door was unlocked and she slipped out of it knowing what she had to do.

She needed help and there was only one person who could give it to her. She hated it but there was no other option. She had tried asking for help in her head of house, tried to find the answers herself. Nothing was working.

She had to ask Hermione for help. She was desperate and this was her last resort.

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A/N:Reviews!


	9. Coping

This Chapter also has some disturbing elements in it. Be aware.

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Chapter 9- Coping

Hermione heard the knock on her door and when she opened it standing there was the last person she wanted to see. Ginny stood there, covered in sweat, her skin was glistening with it. She was breathing heavy like she had just been running. It was then she noticed the bruises around her wrists as if someone had tried to rip them off with brute force.

"I need help." She gasped, falling forward onto her knees. Hermione jumped away quickly, terrified, but Ginny didn't seem to be out to attack her.

"What happened?" Hermione asked shakily. She had a feeling it was something very bad.

Ginny raked her hands through her tangled hair, making her look disturbed and her eyes were much too wide. "It was….it was…death, bodies and bodies and the blood, I was there and they were there and she she wanted to play but I didn't want to play I didn't want too, Hermione. She was crawling and her face it was….she was a little girl and she wanted to play! I didn't and she was coming for me, but oh harry was there and he died…it killed him! I screamed but no one heard I screamed so much but no one would help me. All the bodies, Hermione, too much. It was too much. You have to help me! Please!"

Hermione's mouth fell open in shock. What on earth? Hermione reached for Ginny's arm, wanting to comfort her but a painful sting came the moment she touched her. Ginny seem too lost to feel it so Hermione slowly backed away from her.

"Ginny, I want to help you but you have to explain what you're talking about. I don't understand." Hermione said in a calm voice.

"I just told you! I was stuck in there and everything happened and it kept coming and I couldn't get out!"

"Where were you Ginny?" Hermione insisted.

"The girl's bathroom on the seventh floor I think. What…day is it?" She asked suddenly. Hermione frowned.

"Why?"

"Is it Tuesday?" She asked. Hermione paled. It was Friday.

"Ginny have you been to classes? It's Friday." Hermione asked. She avoided Ginny at all costs so she didn't know what she did or if she was in class or not.

"It's been four days. I was in there for four days….Hermione what's wrong with me? Do you know? Am I sick?" Ginny asked hopefully, but she seemed off. There was a sense about her that put Hermione on edge. She wanted Ginny to leave, but she also wanted to help her.

"Ginny, I don't know what's going on, but I'll look into okay? That's all I can do. I don't have any answers for you." Hermione said softly. The look on Ginny's face hurt her heart. She was so lost.

"I want you to go to your bed, lie down and go to sleep. Ginny? Ginny?"

Ginny got to her feet, her eyes wide with horror. "It's here. It's here." She was looking up at the ceiling and Hermione looked up too. She saw nothing but Ginny definitely saw something.

"Ginny what is it? Who's here?" Hermione asked but Ginny was lost in another world. She backed up to the door, scrapping her nails against the stone and Hermione could see them start to bleed. Hermione reached around her carefully and pushed the door open. Ginny fell out of the room and crawled backwards on the floor, her mouth open and her face frozen with absolute horror. Hermione watched as she got to her feet and started to run. She hurried after her, unable to just ignore what she was seeing. Ginny didn't lose her speed until she met the staircases. She ran up one and another until they were on the highest floor in Hogwarts. Hermione had lost count of how many levels they passed.

"No! I said no! I don't want to play. Leave me alone!" Ginny screamed and Hermione shivered. She could feel something not quite right.

"Ginny!" She called but Ginny couldn't hear her, she was long gone again. Hermione felt frustrated being unable to help her.

"Mommy? No …mum? Go away go I said GO!" Ginny was screaming so loudly Hermione put up a charm so no one would hear it. She still didn't want anything bad to happen to her, even though things were the way they were.

"Ginny, Ginny can you hear me?" Hermione tried again but Ginny showed no sign of hearing her.

"I don't want to be evil. I don't!" Ginny said softly, crying now. "Please leave me alone!"

Hermione was angry now because she couldn't do a thing to help her. Ginny was staring at her hands or at her wrist which were still covered in bruises.

"But I didn't do it! You can't say I did, when I didn't. You did it!" Ginny shouted, flinging her hands around, as if fighting something, or someone.

"I don't want to hurt anyone. I don't want to be bad. No, please, no. Don't hurt him. I love him, Harry NO! leave him alone!"

Hermione started to cry at lost for what to do, how to help her. She sat down on the floor, hoping maybe Ginny could feel her there and snap out of it. She could do nothing else.

Ginny was curled up on the floor, tears running down her face and she was whispering things Hermione couldn't hear.

"I want to go home." Ginny said louder and Hermione thought she might have been talking to her until she spoke again.

"It is not my home. Home is good! I….no…please…don't make me." Ginny started to sob and scream and kick as if someone was taking her against her will. Hermione watched helplessly as Ginny struggled and fought whatever was going on in her mind.

An idea suddenly came to her. It was all in her mind right? So what if she was unconscious? Hermione pulled out her wand.

"_Stupefy_!" The spell shot of her wand and hit Ginny square in the chest. She convulsed for a few seconds before falling still. That wasn't how the spell worked so she crawled over to Ginny very carefully, ready for her to wake up anytime. When she looked to be out for real Hermione levitated her down the staircases and headed towards the infirmary. She couldn't protect her anymore, as much as she wanted to.

She passed some students on the way but her face must have scared them all away. She reached the door and pushed them open to see Severus and Pomfrey talking in hushed tones. Hermione levitated Ginny onto an empty bed and sat down at the bed across from her.

"Miss Granger what are you doing? Miss Weasley? She's been missing for-

"Four days. I know." Hermione interrupted sadly staring at Ginny's still form. Severus came in front of her and went to touch her, but Hermione grabbed his arms and stopped him.

"She's the Leviathan." Hermione said at last. Severus pulled his arm away from her in shock.

"All this time and you just stayed silent!?"

"Don't you dare, Severus. Don't you dare. I was _protecting_ her. She is my sister and I love her like a sister. How could you understand. You don't love anything! If you so much as touch her…" Hermione said emotionally. She was crying but determined to have this resolved.

"Madame Pomfrey, what do you know about Leviathans? About their transformation?" Hermione asked wiping the sweat off her forehead. She had her wand on Severus in case he tried anything. He had remained silent after her harsh words, but his had been harsher in refusing her.

"It's very dark and traumatic. It takes months to complete and the only thing that changes is their minds. They become warped and disturbed, until that is all they are." She said solemnly without judgment.

"There has to be a way to reverse it. Stop it somehow." Hermione asked, her voice rising. Madame Pomfrey sighed and shook her head. "There is nothing for her."

"There is!" Hermione said, pleaded and then she felt Severus's hands on her shoulders and she turned her head into his chest and cried. Harry would never forgive her for this.

"No!" The scream came from Ginny who was wide awake now. Hermione stood at the front of her bed and used her wand to secure the restraints.

"Ginny, can you hear me? It's Hermione!" Hermione said hopefully.

Ginny blue eyes welled up with tears, "I won't do it." Her bottom lip quivered and then she screamed.

"Harry? Not him. Never him. I love him I love him! I can't!" Her voice broke and cracked and some words came out as sobs.

"No more blood. I don't like it! I don't! I said I don't want to fucking play!" She absolutely roared hurting Hermione ears, with her inhumane scream. Ginny seemed to have more fight back into her, but there was still a fair amount of fear there too.

"Dear Merlin…" Severus breathed coming to stand at the end of the bed. Ginny's body arched off the bed and she let out a horrible scream.

"Fuck you! I don't have to do anything! You can't make me!"

She suddenly went limp, her eyes falling closed. There was an eerie silence as everyone took in what they had just witnessed.

"You can't help her Hermione." Severus said, touching her shoulder lightly. Hermione shook her head and blinked away the tears. She was tired of crying.

"I will help her. You can all go to hell." She said and knelt on the floor next to Ginny's bed. She heard their footstep go and then the door was closed. They were alone. She pulled out her wand and sent a patronus to Harry, urging him to come quickly. He had just been here too so he was sure to be worried.

She waited and waited and it must have been an hour before he showed up.

"Hermione what the hell?" He exclaimed seeing Ginny bound to the bed.

"Don't touch her." Hermione hissed warningly.

"What the hell it going on?" He demanded.

"I told you what she is. A Leviathan and she's starting to change and I don't know how to stop it, Harry. I wanted you to be able to say goodbye. I know how much you love her and how much she loves you. I'm not giving up on her Harry, I would never but, just in case, you should say goodbye. I'm going to wake her up but be prepared she might not be herself."

She didn't wait for Harry to say anything she just cast the spell and watched Ginny come back to the living.

"Harry? Is that you?" She asked with a smile. Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. She wanted them to get their goodbye and they deserved it.

"Yes, it's me. I hear you've not been very good." He said softly and Hermione suddenly felt like she was intruding, but she remained where she was.

"I've missed you so much. I love you, Harry." She said with a weak voice because of how much she'd been screaming.

"I love you too. Everything is going to be all right."

Why did that sound like a lie to her? She had no idea how to help her or if there was even a way to help her at all. Hermione knew that magic was capable of extraordinary things but could this be one of them?

"I'll never leave you, Ginny. Never." Harry said and pressed a kiss to her forehead. Ginny's eyes closed and she fell asleep on her own. Hermione faced Harry ready for him to yell at her for turning Ginny in.

"Thank you, Hermione. I should have never doubted you. Just thanks for looking out for her and loving her as much as I do." Harry pulled her into a hug and Hermione exhaled with relief. She had been worried for nothing.

"Of course, Harry. I'd anything for the both of you." She promised.

"Come and play play play. Come and play play play." Ginny spoke up, but when Hermione turned around Ginny was still and her eyes were closed. Harry also looked confused as well.

"Do you want to play play play?" It was Ginny's voice but she didn't seem to be the one saying it. It was all suddenly very creepy.

"What is this, Hermione?" Harry asked moving closer to her. Hermione opened her mouth to speak but the voice spoke first.

"Does Ginny want to play play play?" The voice echoed around and around again. Harry shivered and Hermione prayed that she would stop before it got really bad.

The room spun and Harry gripped Hermione as they swayed. "Play time!"

The room came to a stop, the voice gone, Ginny asleep and everything was as it should be. Hermione pulled Harry up on his feet and told him he should go now but Harry wasn't paying attention to her.

"Where did-

Hermione felt pain jolt through her as Ginny gripped her shoulders from behind. Harry reacted quickly by ripping her body off of Hermione and hugging her close. Ginny eyes were feral and she was craving Hermione's magic.

"Ginny, Ginny, Ginny." Harry whispered into her ear, hoping she would come back to them. The fight suddenly melted away and she collapsed. Harry laid her on the bed gently, brushing her hair away from her face.

"It's worse than I thought it would be. Are you alright?" Harry asked. Hermione nodded and went over to Ginny.

"I don't think we can save her Harry. I….wait….. What if I use Legilimency?" Hermione let her thoughts go and decided she could at least try.

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked.

"Leviathans are made when their minds become warped and disturbed. If I can go into her mind, maybe I could fix or repair what's been done already. I think I should try it." Hermione said, pleased with her reasoning. Harry wasn't as sure.

"What if being in her mind is the same as her attacking you?" Harry said and Hermione's good feeling faded.

"What if once you're in there and you can't get out?" Harry continued but Hermione cut him off.

"Don't you want to help her?" She demanded.

"Not if that means hurting you too." He told her sadly. Hermione sank onto an empty bed rubbed her tired eyes.

"Will she be safe here?" He asked, yawning slightly. Hermione nodded and then she realized that it was an hour past curfew.

"I'll come and visit as much as I can. Write me too. Goodbye Hermione." He stopped at Ginny's bed and kissed her lightly before slipping out of the door.

Hermione made sure the restraints on Ginny couldn't be broken before heading out of the infirmary. She walked slowly, not bothering to care about the curfew. She went into her room and crawled into bed, exhausted.

* * *

In the infirmary, Ginny woke. She felt sore and tired so she closed her eyes and it was then she remembered. Harry, Hermione, and what they had said. A Leviathan. That's what she was. A monster in disguise.

Shadows flickered in her peripheral vision; they moved and morphed into black roses and black butterflies. The fluttered around, circling her. The flowers grew in number and the thrones started to rip at her skin. Small slices of flesh and she could feel each and every cut along the length of her body. The roses slashed open her skin and the butterflies flew to her face, suffocating her and she chocked and sputtered but no air could get in. Her arms were pinned and she had no way of protecting herself. She gave in and let them swallow her whole.

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A/N: Any Good?


	10. Finding an Answer

Chapter 10- Finding an Answer

Ginny was calm now. She had no more fight and just lied there as the haunting voices and images flew in and out of focus. They still bothered her but she pretended like they didn't. It was so hard to just take it. She wanted to be herself again, to see Harry and all her friends. She wanted to see her mum and dad, her brothers and even Hermione. She didn't want to be alone in this, whatever this was. There was so much she didn't understand, there were so many questions she had.

"Ginny? Can you hear me?" Ginny nodded but didn't speak. She was sure she would start to scream. The things she was seeing, the savage inhumane things she was seeing, were too much. She gripped the rails on her bed tightly and waited for whatever questions she had, whoever it was.

"Can you tell me what you see right now?" Ginny shook her head quickly, breathing through her nose.

"Why not?" She shook her head again. She didn't want to listen to any more questions.

"Are you afraid to talk to me?"

A pause and then Ginny nodded slightly. Ginny heard something shatter on the floor and she finally opened her eyes. She was in the infirmary, cuffed to a bed that had rails on either side. For a few moments the images had faded enough to see who was talking to her.

Madame Pomfrey.

Darkness flooded the room and she couldn't see anything.

"Ginny?" It was the little girl's voice, a high sweet voice, void of evil, and she couldn't see anything.

"Please go, haven't you done enough? Let me go, I don't want to be one of you!" Ginny pleaded and she realized that she had spoken aloud and Madame Pomfrey must have heard.

"Ginny, you have no choice." That was Madame Pomfrey speaking and Ginny flinched away from her. She'd never heard Madame Pomfrey sound so cold and detached.

"What are you doing!?" A voice shouted. Hermione.

"Leave at once, Miss Granger. I will handle things from here."

"No, you will not. Why would you do this?"

"Her kind doesn't deserve to be alive. I will _handle_ this." Madame Pomfrey said.

"If you think for a moment that I would let you hurt her you've thought wrong. Leave us and I won't report you to the headmistress." Hermione warned but Madame Pomfrey didn't seem worried.

"This is more important than any job, Miss Granger. I must do this."

"Why!? What has she ever done to you?"

"It's not what she did; it's what her kind did. They took my whole family away from me. Bloody Leviathans."

"I don't understand, I thought Leviathans only feed on elemental magic."

"Oh no, they enjoy the kill afterwards. I was eight years old when a group of them came to our small house. Did you know they can smell and elemental from miles away? I only survived because they had taken too much magic to hurt me. I got away, but my family was killed. I had three sisters, all younger than me and two older brothers. My mother was an Elemental and they just killed the rest of us because we were there. So that is why I must do this."

"There is another way! I am going to go into her mind and try and fix what had been done. I have to try and I won't let you stop me." Hermione told her firmly.

"Two days. Then _I_ will deal with her." Ginny could hear the light footsteps as she walked away.

"Ginny, I'm going to do everything I can to save you, you know that, right?" Hermione promised her as soon as she was gone.

Ginny nodded and looked at Hermione hopefully. She mouthed the words thank you and was once again consumed with darkness.

* * *

Hermione watched as Ginny fell back into sleep. She couldn't figure this out on her own, she needed help and she only had Severus to go to.

Hermione walked to the dungeons and knocked on Severus's door. It was their normal time for their lessons but she would have to make him see reason to help her.

"Enter."

She pushed the door open and couldn't help but smile a little when she saw him bent over the essays he was grading. It was something she saw him do often.

"I need your help, Severus." Hermione said, using his given name purposely. It had been a slip of the tongue yesterday but today was different.

He looked up, surprised, but it seemed faked.

"You think I didn't know you would come to me for help, I just didn't think it would be so soon." He told her.

"Madame Pomfrey gave me two days and then she'll…deal with her. Leviathans slaughtered her whole family and she wants revenge. I can't believe I missed something like that."

"She hid it very well. I had no knowledge of it either." Severus said thoughtfully. Hermione sat down on top of one of the desks.

"Leviathans are monsters, I know that, but Madame Pomfrey said that they become that when their brains are turned. I don't know how that works or if that is even true. I want to try Legilimency on her. See if I can repair or fix what's gone wrong in her mind. I… I have to try and I wanted to know what you thought since you are more experience in it. So…?" Hermione trailed off helplessly.

Severus stood walked over her, still looking thoughtful.

"I think you might be onto something. There is very little on mind healing but I have read up on some things and we could research it. What I am sure of is that we'll need weeks not two days." He explained.

"Severus, I don't have weeks. I just wanted to know it was possible and now I know it is. I'm going to read what I can and then tomorrow I'll try it. You're welcome to be there if you like. I hope you don't mind me canceling our session today. I need to do this."

Severus shook his head and looked up at her, "I understand. But be careful mind magic is very dangerous and unpredictable."

"I know that, but it's a risk I'm willing to take. She's important to me and I owe this to Harry-

"But you don't. You don't owe him anything, Hermione. His death was not your fault." Hermione stared up at him, thinking hard.

"I know that. I do, but it still feels like it was my fault. He wouldn't have been there if it wasn't for me. He would have been with Harry and Harry could have protected him. But that has nothing to do with Ginny. I would help anyone or I like to think I would. Will you come?" Hermione asked stepping closer to him.

"You haven't thought this through! Have you thought about what you'll be seeing once you're inside her mind? There is dark magic coursing through her brain and you won't be able to protect yourself from it. We both saw what she was going through and I agree it is horrible, but I know there isn't a good chance you'll succeed. I just hope you're ready for that."

Hermione let that sink, but it didn't change her opinion. "I'm going to try. I need to do this and I…"

"Would like me to be there? I know you would. I'll come, but I won't stay long. I have no want to see you suffer in her mind. I know you well enough to know I could never stop you from doing what you want to do. But keep in mind the danger, the risk you're taking! I'm pleading with you to reconsider." He said passionately moving one step closer. Hermione could feel the warmth of him because he was just a few inches away.

"If there was another way I would take it. Severus, I'm sorry. Really I am. Tomorrow morning at seven is when I'll be there to do it. I hope you make it."

Hermione turned leave the room but he caught her arm and pulled her into an embrace so tight it hurt. He let her go just a quickly and turned away from her so she couldn't see the look of fear on his face.

* * *

In the morning she made her way to the infirmary, ready to get it over with. Hermione opened the door but Ginny wasn't there in her bed.

"Ginny!?" She yelled, panicking. Why did she leave Ginny here alone with Madame Pomfrey? How could she trust her?

"She's in a private room through that door." Hermione spun around and saw her standing, dressed as she always dressed.

"When did you move her?" Hermione asked heading towards the door.

"I didn't."

Hermione turned around again just in time to see a wand in her face. Madame Pomfrey's face seemed older and colder than Hermione had ever seen.

"I tried to tell you but you wouldn't listen. She has to die for what she did."

"She didn't do anything! It wasn't her that killed your family. You can't blame her, she's innocent." Hermione argued. She wasn't alarmed by the wand pointed at her. She had more power than her and that made the situation much easier.

"Where is she?"

Madame Pomfrey shook her head, "She's safe, for now. But you have more to worry about than finding her."

"Severus will come looking for me, you know. You can't possibly think you'll be able to kill a student."

"Who said anything about killing her? No, I have no intention to kill her. It's been she's alive to study. I want to know what went wrong."

"What are you talking about? What went wrong?" Hermione asked, pulling her wand out discreetly.

"My father of course. But that's a story another time. Go."

"I'm not leaving until you let me see her and try to help her. I think I might be able to." Hermione said sternly. She would have to tell people about Madame Pomfrey and what she thought she could just get away with because she was a member of the Hogwarts' staff.

"What do you plan to do? She asked curiously.

"Legilimency. I think I could go into her mind and try to heal it, or redirect whatever is going on in there."

Madame Pomfrey smiled a disconcerting smile that sent chills down her spine.

"Very well. She really is through that door." She walked into her office and shut the door before Hermione could ask more questions. She walked through the door and saw Ginny straining on her bed, trying to get loose. Her forearms had fingertip shaped bruises on them and she had a black eye now too. Her eyes had deep purple bags underneath them and Hermione was sure that she hadn't had a good night's sleep in over a week. It wasn't surprising that Ginny was worn out and tired. She was going through hell.

"Ginny can you hear me?" Hermione said at last.

Ginny's eyes flew open, wide with surprise and Hermione took a risk and jumped into her mind.

"_Legilimens._"

* * *

A/N: I hope no one minds that sometimes I post each day and then other times its a week before I update again. I'm trying to even that out into a regular schedule. I hope you all like this chapter!


	11. Mind Games

Chapter 11-Mind Games

Hermione fell into Ginny's mind like she had just jumped out of a plane. She slammed into the floors of Ginny's mind face down and struggled to get back on her feet. Blackness was all she could see and there was a small beam of light coming down from the center of what appeared to be a padded room. Suddenly she couldn't move her arms and saw a straightjacket around her.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Hermione ceased struggling against the jacket when she heard the voice. She looked up and saw Ginny standing there, but only half of her was there. It was like she had been split evenly down the middle. She stepped close but how she didn't know. Ginny had only one leg, how was she walking, or did normal not apply here in her mind?

"I don't want you here." She continued as if nothing was amiss. Hermione struggled against the jacket and Ginny sighed. It vanished and she was free.

"I just want to help you." Hermione told her, trying not to be put off by her appearance. Ginny shook her head, or her half head and half smiled at her.

"I don't need your help. I'm better than ever!"

"Hermione?" She spun around and saw the other half of Ginny standing there, tears running down the half of her face.

"Don't listen to her!" The first half said and Hermione looked at each of them, trying to understand what she was seeing. Why was she split it half?

"Hermione, I need you to get me out of here. It's so scary and it never ends. I want to go home!" Hermione turned to the second half and reached out her hand. She knew it was a huge risk, but she couldn't not do something when Ginny was pleading for her to help. Ginny was about to give her hand but Hermione was jerked away but the first half. The grip was tight but not painful.

"You don't deserve help!" The first half said to the second. Ginny, the good half, gripped Hermione and pulled her away from the bad half.

The bad half suddenly disappeared and she was left along with Ginny, the good part of her at least.

"It's taking over in here, you know. Every second it comes closer and closer to taking over. I've tried everything to stop it, but it never stops. I hope it won't hurt you." Ginny told her, holding her hand.

"Don't worry about me. Let's try and help you, okay?" Ginny nodded and led her down a corridor that was filled with red walls. Ginny seemed on edge and Hermione suddenly realized why. The walls weren't just red they were walls of blood, dripping down from the ceiling above. The bodies her pinned with oversized needles and she could hear them moaning and groaning, trying to move.

"_What is this_?" Hermione hissed at Ginny but when she looked around her, Ginny was gone. Hermione felt the darkness closing it, trying to take her mind, but she broke out into a run and kept running until the red corridor was gone.

"Play time!" Hermione twisted around and saw the most revolting this she had ever seen in her life. She was a little girl, maybe four or five and was carrying a teddy bear. Only the bear had real eyes and fingers. The girl was missing both of her eyes; they were just hollow holes in her face, and the bottom half of her jaw was missing, muscles and veins hanging loose.

A scream stuck in her throat as she backed away.

"Hey! It's play time!" Hermione took off, absolutely terrified. She found Ginny at the end of a black corridor, thankfully free of dead bodies or tortured living ones. She was sitting on her knees laughing manically.

"Ginny?" Hermione called but she just kept on laughing. The little girl reappeared along with a man, rotted so much he crumbled where he stood and crawled his way to her feet.

"Be nice to my friends Hermione!" Ginny said, but Hermione realized that was her Ginny at all. There were many kinds of Ginny's in here floating around. How was she supposed to know which was the right one?

She felt something grab her ankle and it was the man crawling towards her. He was missing the top of his head and she could actually see his brain and the blood inside. She ripped away from him and fell right into the little girl.

"Are you ready to play?"

Hermione took off, hearing Ginny's laughter in her ears. "Ginny? Where are you?!" She called, at lost. She couldn't find the way out.

"Hermione."

"Oh thanks merlin you're here. We have to figure out how too-

"We can't. There is no way to save me. I'm becoming a monster and there is no stopping it. I need you to understand that. You don't know how much it means to me that you tried to help me."

"Ginny, I'm not giving up. There has to be something we can do." Hermione reassured her.

Ginny smiled sadly, a half smile. "You've done enough and I have one favor to ask."

The black room vanished and was replaced with a white room with a black box in the middle of it.

"This is where the dark magic is coming from. I want you to destroy it." Hermione looked at her curiously.

"This wont save you will it?"

Ginny shook her head, "But it's what I want. Hermione, please do this for me."

"But you'll die!"

"And I'll die happily. I don't want to be a monster that wants to hurt people Hermione. I can't be that."

"No, not you too. Please Ginny!" Hermione pleaded.

"Ron will be there waiting for me, I know it. I understand now that his death was his choice and his alone. Just like I'm doing now. Do it!"

Hermione pulled the half Ginny into an embrace and said, "I love you, Ginny. You are the closest thing to a sister that I ever had. I'll miss you so much." Hermione let her go and kissed her cheek, the only one she had in this half of her body.

"You were the same for me. I'll love you always. Now you'll have to jump out of here the moment you destroy the box because everything will jump out of it and roam free. But it will kill me as well. Too much dark magic at once will do that to a person. I want you to tell my family that I love them and I'll be waiting on the other side. Take care of them for me. Tell Harry that he was my one true love and I'll be watching him to make sure he has a happy fulfilling life. He better move on, you tell him that okay?"

Hermione nodded and focused on the black box hating what she was about to do. It exploded with a huge fire and she was thrown back in the walls. The moment she regained her footing she jumped out her mind before the fire could envelope her mind.

She sucked in a huge breath the moment her mind was back into her own. A sob came out on the exhale. Ginny's body was still, no movement. She looked around and saw Molly, Arthur, Severus, Bill, Charlie, George and Luna. She didn't see Harry.

"She didn't make it. She's gone. I'm so sorry, I tried." Hermione whimpered and struggled against the sobs that wanted to escape. Molly let out a wail and Arthur had to hold her up before she collapsed. Bill and Charlie embraced, holding each other. She saw Harry then in the background. The look on his face made her start to cry harder. She leaned down to kiss Ginny on the forehead, ignoring the painful sting that came with touching a body filled with dark magic. She moved pass the family and ran to Harry, though she wanted nothing more than to go to Severus. Harry started to cry into her shoulder and she held him up when he started to fall.

"She's gone." He moaned and Hermione stroked his hair, "I know Harry I know. I'm so sorry I couldn't save her." He cried harder Harry turned to go see Ginny, though she was long gone. Hermione stood there alone and tried to stop the tears.

"Everyone. Ginny wanted you all to know that she loved you and that Ron was waiting on the other side for her and she wasn't afraid. Harry she wanted you to know that you were her true love and she wished you a happy fulfilling life. She said you had better move on she would be waiting for everyone on the other side. She just…she loved you all.

Severus made his way over to her and they looked at each other for a moment and then embraced each other. A split second later they ripped apart, feeling a painful sting. Hermione looked at him with fear. She knew what that sting meant.

* * *

A/N: I don't know about you guys but I cried writing this. Let me know what you think, even if you didn't cry.


	12. Aftermath

Chapter 12- Aftermath

Hermione hugged her wool coat closer to her, fighting against the cold. She was standing over a huge empty hole in the ground, or more accurately she was staring at the black coffin inside. She turned away from the sight and watched the other people who were also standing and staring at the coffin. Even though she Ginny was gone, it still felt like she might see her in the great hall or in the hall way. It was hard to accept that she was really truly gone. Hermione knew she was gone more than anyone else. She was the one who killed her. It didn't matter that Ginny had wanted to die, it was still her fault. Hermione kept asking herself why Ginny? What was so special about Ginny that made her become a Leviathan? She was going to find out. It was a waste for Ginny to die. She had her whole life ahead of her with Harry. It was horrible and wrong and…all her fault that she wasn't here anymore. Hermione also had another problem, a rather big one too that was pressing on her mind.

Severus couldn't touch her without receiving a huge snap of pain. She only felt the smallest pinch of pain but it all meant one thing. She was either a Leviathan now or she was becoming one. Hermione didn't know how that could happen. She'd been in Ginny's mind for about four hours and in that time something had gone horribly wrong. She hadn't told Severus or anyone how Ginny died. No one knew it was her that caused it. Hermione thought that when she destroyed the black box some of the dark magic must have left with her. She didn't feel any different but there no way to tell. No way to guess at what might happen now. All she could do was just wait and see how it all played out. She did have one other theory.

* * *

She kept having a nightmare, the same one she had every night since Ginny died. They were sitting in a black room identical to the one in Ginny's mind. Hermione was on one side of the table and Ginny was on the other and they were just staring at each other. The only movement and sound was their breathing. Then the walls started to close in, coming closer and closer. Hermione tensed looking around with fear, but Ginny just sat there and stared as if nothing was wrong.

"Ginny? What are you doing we have to go!" There was a bright white door to the right but Ginny just smiled at her.

"I have to stay, but you can go." She said calmly and relaxed in her seat. Hermione looked at her and at the walls that were closing in.

"I can't leave you." She told Ginny desperately. Ginny shook her head and stood calmly. She leaned up against the moving wall and walked as it pushed her.

"You left me once." She said and the table and chairs disappeared.

"I'm sorry, I didn't want to!" Hermione promised but Ginny just kept moving with the walls that were growing closer still.

"I know you didn't. I know. But you have to leave me here. You stayed too long last time, you know." Ginny said and there was only a few feet left in the room.

"Ginny please!"

Ginny looked at her and said, "Get out of here. You have to leave me. Again."

Hermione gave her one last longing look and opened the white door. She fell inside hitting her knees painfully on the floor. The door closed behind her and disappeared. Hermione looked up and saw a white table with two empty chairs in it. She climbed into one and caught her breath. Her heart had been racing in the other room, afraid of dying that way. Afraid of dying period.

"Hello."

Hermione screamed just a little and twirled around in her seat. Ginny was sitting across from her and she looked very beautiful. Her red flaming hair was pinned back with a white bow and she was wearing an elegant white dress with simple white shoes.

"Ginny? But you were just-

"That was a different Ginny. You are in a little bit of trouble aren't you?"

Hermione looked at her at lost for words.

"That's alright. You don't have to talk, just listen. You were in my mind too long. Much too long. I'm trying to find my way around in here but it's taking some time. You have a very complex mind."

"This is real? No, it's a dream. Of course it is." Hermione said surely. Ginny smiled at her and for a moment Hermione saw everything turn black. Ginny's hair, dress, shoes and bow flickered black before resuming their white color.

"Why can't this be real?" She asked but Hermione felt uneasy. What if it was the bad Ginny was here talking to her?

"Bad Ginny? I think not."

Hermione squeezed her eyes and tried to make herself wake up.

"The only way out is through the door." Ginny explained. Hermione looked over at the black door with fear. What if all the rooms just lead to another room?

"Oh no." Hermione turned back around and watched in awe as Ginny stood up and looked down at her stomach. Red spread out from the center growing darker and darker until the dress was red. Ginny looked back up at her and seemed confused.

"_What did you do?"_

The room spun and she was back in the black room sitting with Ginny.

"Why am I here?" Hermione asked her anxiously. She was tired of all the games. She just wanted to wake up. Ginny took her hands and put one to her cheek. Hermione's hand seared against the flesh. She pulled away, pain throbbing in her hand.

"You know you deserved that. Why am I here? Because you killed me!" Ginny stood and flipped the table throwing it on Hermione.

"Ginny please…" Hermione begged crawling backwards away from Ginny. Ginny bent down and grabbed Hermione's feet and started to drag her across the black floor.

"Let's play a game where I throw you down the whole and you tell me what you see? Okay?"

"Stop it!" Hermione struggled against her but Ginny seemed to have super strength. She kicked and screamed but she couldn't get free. The next thing she knew she was falling and falling and she seemed to fall forever and eventually her scream faded into nothing. She landed with a hard thump and lost her breath for a moment.

"What do you see down there?" Ginny yelled.

Hermione looked around and saw what looked like a collection of small caves. Hermione got to her feet and looked into one of the caves. She didn't see anything at first but then a pair of glowing blue eyes appeared, followed by Ginny. She was wearing rags and crawled, seeming like a wild animal. Ginny growled at her and Hermione hastily backed away. Growls started to come from every direction and for once second she thought she would be stuck there forever. And then she woke up.

* * *

It was like that every night since Ginny had died. There were random multiple Ginny's, some nice, some creepy, some very scary and some downright horrifying. The last Ginny was the worst because it felt so real. Falling that far towards the ground, unsure if you would even survive the fall. Hermione had a feeling that she knew what was going on.

She didn't have the proof though and that's what she had to do now, once the funeral was over. She had to go to sleep and ask Ginny herself how to fix everything.

Because she was absolutely sure now that Ginny was in her mind. The explosion had killed the evil part of Ginny, but what about the other parts? Was it possible that Ginny had left with her and jumped into her mind? Hermione couldn't see a reason not to think so. That meant Ginny was floating around in her mind, lost.

Hermione walked to the apparation point and headed back to Hogwarts' gates. She didn't want to see anyone but it was necessary to at least tell someone what she was doing. Hermione went to Severus's room and prayed he would help her. She needed a sleeping potion and though she could do it herself she didn't have the right kind of motivation to make something.

"Enter."

Hermione sat down on his sofa and waited for him to start the conversation.

"Why are you here?" That hurt to hear just a little. He obviously didn't want her here.

"I need your help. Again. I think I know what's wrong with me but I need to prove it. Will you watch over me while I do that?"

"I don't understand what are you going to do? What is wrong?"

"You felt the sharp sting when we touched. I'd been in a Leviathan's mind for four hours. Something went wrong, Severus. I need to sort it out and it would mean a lot if you would do this for me. I can't ask anyone else."

Severus looked at her for a long moment, "What do you need?"

"A sleeping potion and just wake me up if you can visibly tell something has gone wrong."

He nodded, "Very well. Make yourself comfortable."

"Thank you Severus." She told him sincerely and gave her the smallest smile but it was enough to make her heart soar.

She took the potion from him and tossed it back in one go. She fell asleep immediately and drifted into her own mind.

* * *

She saw a round table and at each chair aside from her own there was a different side of Ginny. There was the white one, the black one, the one that pushed her down the whole, and a few others she hadn't seen before.

"We've been waiting for you." They all breathed simultaneously.

* * *

A/N:Reviews please!


	13. Face to Face

Chapter 13- Face to Face

Hermione sat there slowly looking around at each Ginny. In total there were six of them each very different from the next.

"We have a lot to tell you." The white one said, "But let us introduce ourselves first."

"I'm Ginny's evil side." The white one said with a wide smile that showed glistening white teeth. Hermione shivered and swallowed thickly. She didn't doubt that she was the evil side of Ginny. The next Ginny, the red one, smiled at her in a very different way.

"I'm Ginny's seductive side." Hermione shifted, a little uncomfortable with the intense stare she receiving.

The next Ginny was wearing a beautiful blue dress and smiled at her in a way she was familiar with. It was a real Ginny smile.

"I'm Ginny's kind side." Hermione though that made sense. Hermione's eyes moved down the table to the next one who was dressed in black. She was also isolated from the others and seemed have a raw power. Hermione could feel it pulsing in the air.

"I'm Ginny's dark magic." Hermione remembered now that she was the one who burned her hand and pushed her down the hole. This Ginny terrified her and now she knew why. She was dressed in a black lace dress and even had black fingernails and black hair. Ginny smiled at her prettily but it was purposely faked.

"I'm Ginny's cold side." Hermione frowned as she looked at the Ginny decked out in silver.

"You might call me the ice queen." She continued before crossing her arms and looking toward the last Ginny on the end. She was dressed in the most beautiful gold dress and had a golden tiara placed in her hair. Her hair was a soft white color and Hermione couldn't think of what side of Ginny she could be.

"I'm Ginny's heart." She said simply and they stared at each other for a few moments. The silence went on until the white one, the evil Ginny spoke.

"Okay, I'll go first. You remember everything from when you were in Ginny's mind? Well everything you encountered there is now here in your own mind. It's not strong but it's there. As far as we know there is nowhere for us to go. No way out for us since….she's gone."

Hermione spoke for the first time, "How did you get in my mind? I don't understand."

The blue Ginny was the one to answer, "When Ginny, the real one that was mostly whole, lead you to the black box and you destroyed it you didn't kill her like she thought you would. She had no idea what would really happen."

The black Ginny spoke up and gave her a sly smile, "When the box was destroyed you released the rest of me all at once. For months I'd been releasing dark magic into her mind and then all the sudden I was released entirely. That was when I unfortunately split Ginny into all these parts. I am not technically Ginny, but I am what she should have been if she had completed the transition."

Hermione processed that and coughed to clear her throat before speaking, "How do I get rid of you?"

"Didn't you listen? There isn't a way out for us. Trust me; none of us want to be in here." That was the silver Ginny who spoke and her voice was angry and harsh.

The red Ginny looked at her for a long moment before leaning over to whisper into the black Ginny's ear. Hermione couldn't hear what they said but that didn't matter because all the Ginny's stood up and started to move over to her. Hermione jumped back away hastily but they were faster than her. The black Ginny grabbed her wrist and it burned badly before she could yank it away. The blue Ginny came out of nowhere and ripped her out of the crowd. The room with the round table disappeared and they were alone in a room that matched the Ginny she was with. It was rich blue color but it was empty of furniture of any kind.

"I knew they would plan something like that. It was very predictable." The blue Ginny said.

"What exactly did they try to do?"

Ginny looked at her with a sad smile, "They wanted to kick you out of your own mind. Essentially they wanted to make you what Ginny didn't have the chance to become. They want you to be a Leviathan."

"But I'm an elemental! I can't be both!"

"Sure you can." Hermione turned around and saw the golden Ginny behind her.

"They won't find us here; this is the very center of your mind, protected from vermin like them." The gold Ginny continued.

"So how did you get in here?" Hermione asked curiously. The two Ginny's walked around the room, pacing.

"You let us in. I don't know why or how but we were allowed to enter. Maybe your mind recognizes us as part of Ginny or maybe because we don't have any dark magic in us. We are pure."

"Is there really no way out for you?" Both Ginny's shook their heads. Hermione sighed and rubbed her tired eyes. How could she be tired when she was technically sleeping?

"But we do have a suggestion. What if we didn't leave? What if we stayed?"

Hermione didn't get a chance to answer because the room started to spin and she could hear screams. The Ginny's were screaming and clutching each other. They reached for Hermione but something grabbed her around the waist and ripped her away from them. She was thrown onto a stone floor and she didn't have to guess who brought her there.

The black Ginny and the white Ginny stood over her and just smiled.

"We found you and it wasn't even that hard to break in. What were they telling you?"

Hermione looked between the both of them and let out a laugh.

"Do you actually think I would tell you?" She said between laughs. The black Ginny reached forward and gripped her chin with force that would leave bruises.

"Tell me or I slit your throat."

Hermione refused to answer and the black Ginny conjured a knife. Hermione struggled against her but the white Ginny came to hold her down. She felt the sharp sting as the blade slide across her neck and then she was gone.

* * *

"Shhh stay still I need to heal this." It was Severus's voice so she went still and just tried to process what she had just been through. A question she had was could Severus go inside with her? Could he maybe help her navigate through her mind. There wouldn't be any black box that would explode. Would his mind take one or more of the Ginny's with him? Hermione knew he wouldn't take that risk so it was pointless to even consider.

"What happened in there? Half the time you were talking to someone and the next thing I know you're screaming and kicking and then I saw the blood start to appear so I woke you."

"Thank you, Severus. It's hard to explain what I saw. Try to follow me okay and don't overreact." Severus nodded in agreement so she continued, "When I went into Ginny's mind I didn't just look in and come out. I went through a series of rooms and each one was horrifying in its own way. Then Ginny, the real Ginny, took me to a room with a black box in it. She told me that was wear the dark magic was coming from." Hermione swallowed and felt her eyes sting.

"Ginny told me that she would die if I destroyed it. She told me I had to do it for her. She didn't want to be a monster and she didn't want to hurt people. So I did it. I destroyed the box and then I left her mind."

Severus rubbed his forehead and said, "You…said the real Ginny? What do you mean?"

"Ginny was split into two parts when I got into her mind. I don't know why or how, but one half was evil and the other was just Ginny."

"Continue, I assume there is more to the story." He said with a heavy sigh.

"I wasn't quick enough. Basically all those parts of Ginny are now in me."

"_No!_ Do you have any idea what that means?" Severus yelled, getting to his feet. He reached out to grab her shoulder but then he remembered that he couldn't.

"I do know what that means now. I met all the different parts of Ginny. Do you want the story or not?" Hermione said and he sat back down looking frustrated.

"Fine. Go on."

Hermione took a deep breath and started again, "When I just went into my mind I saw six of them, all of them were a different side to Ginny. I have dark magic in me now and they don't know how to leave. They're stuck in my mind." Hermione fell silent and rubbed at the new scar on her neck.

"There has to be a way." He said sounding scared. It was the first time she's heard him scared and it made her want to reach over and never let him go. She couldn't do that because of what she was turning into.

"If there is I will find it, I just I don't think there is Severus. I might have to accept that I can't…" Hermione trailed off berating herself. She had been about to say I can't be with you.

"You can't go back in there you almost died and you would have if I hadn't been here."

"But you were here and I knew you wouldn't let me die. I go there anytime I go to sleep, Severus. I can't hide from this."

"What now? Do you go back? And do what? You said yourself you don't think there is a way out."

Hermione reached over and put her hand next to his.

"What if they stay?"

* * *

A/N: I hope this chapter was clear and not confusing. The 'Ginny's' will be around for another chapter or so. I hope no one is confused!


	14. Who's Laughing Now?

Chapter 14- Who's Laughing Now

"Are you sure about this?" Severus asked for the fifth time. She turned to face him with a frown on her on her face.

"Yes I'm sure. Now don't wake me up unless you think I'm in danger of dying, alright? I'll probably get hurt again but that can't be avoided. I'm not as strong as all of them so it will be really hard. Unless you have a better idea…"

Severus glared at her because she knew he didn't have a better idea.

"I don't like it." He told her and Hermione moved as close to him as she could without touching.

"I'll be back. I'll come back to you." She told him while watching his eyes. They got a little misty but he closed his them tightly and nodded at her.

"Okay, the potion?" She said clearing the lump in her throat. She didn't have time to analyze her feelings for Severus but the thought of never seeing him again caused her a lot of pain. She might, perhaps, possibly, be in love with him. But that couldn't matter right now. She couldn't even lay one finger on him because of the Ginnys' in her head. Or the one Ginny, the dark magic. She was actually terrified to go back in there, she had almost died after all.

"Here's the potion but… Hermione…." She looked up and he took her face in his hands and kissed her on the mouth for the smallest second ever. She felt the warmth of his lips and then the small sting that came with the touch. She stared at him with wide watery eyes but couldn't find words.

"Okay…I…" He shushed her and handed her the potion again.

"Go on." He told her and she swallowed the potion after one last longing look.

* * *

She fell flat on her face into the room with the round table, but there was no one there. She caught her breath and got to her feet, looking around for any sign of the Evil Ginny or the Dark Ginny. She heard the clatter of chains and when she turned to face the round table there was the Blue Ginny in chains, badly beaten and cut up.

"Hermione, you have to get out of here. It's not safe." She whispered weakly. Hermione climbed on top of the table without comment and unshackled her. She fell limp into Hermione's arms. Hermione forced back tears and told herself this wasn't really Ginny. Ginny was dead. But it felt like Ginny. She was a warm body and she was everything that Hermione remembered about their sisterhood.

"It's okay to miss her, you know. She loved you just as much, even if she was deluded in the last months of her life. That was mostly that dark magic that made her blame you for Ron's death." The Blue Ginny told her softly and Hermione set her down on the round table.

"What were you saying in the room before? About staying?"

"We were talking about a merge of what's left of Ginny. You have much more power than all of us combined. I think, but I'm not sure, that if you decided to merge us, you would be in charge of both elemental magic and Leviathan magic. You would be a hybrid." The Gold Ginny spoke up but she was also up hanging from the ceiling by chains.

Hermione opened her mouth then closed it, at loss for words.

"That is your only option Hermione. I tried… we both tried to find a way but there is none. There is nowhere for us to go and we can't just stop existing." The Gold Ginny continued.

The light left the room and Hermione couldn't see anything. She heard manic laughter ring out in the room and she heard the screams of both the Ginny's. The chains on the Gold Ginny were cut and she slammed into the ground. Hermione reached around blindly trying to help her, but her hands only felt nothingness.

Then Hermione felt hands slide slowly around her waist, seductively. A press of lips on her neck made her tense but she was too afraid to move.

"Boo!" The voice hissed into her ear. Her teeth caught the end of her ear and pulled before soothing the mark with her tongue. Hermione tried to move away but the hands were much stronger than her.

The lights were still out so she couldn't see a thing; she could only feel the hands move upwards from her waist, inching closer and closer to her breasts.

"Are you scared?" She said right in her ear. Hermione could feel her pressed right against her back and one hand went up to her breast and the other hand went lower sinking something else. Hermione tried to move away and found that she couldn't. She literally couldn't move. Her feet were stuck in the floor like there was cement keeping her in the ground. The hands stopped roaming her body and pushed her hair to the side to bite into her neck. It was a bite so hard it drew blood. Hermione also found she couldn't say a word or make any kind of noise. The throbbing pain in her neck made her angry and frustrated but she had no way of expressing any of it.

"Alright, you've had your fun." Another voice said and Hermione couldn't tell them apart. They all sound like Ginny.

"Aww….I was just getting started."

"Enough. We have more important things to do."

The hands slid of her body as slowly as they could, lingering in certain places. One of the Ginny's moved closer and she slapped her across the face so hard that Hermione fell over and lost her breath.

"You bitch; you think you can just get rid of us?" Hermione brought her hand to her face and rubbed her sore jaw. That hit had been very hard and she could feel the bruise forming.

"No." Hermione answered. She knew now what she had to do. She got back to her feet struggling the whole way. Their laughter rang out and Hermione realized they could see her but she couldn't see them.

"You aren't going to want to be alive after we're done with you." The lights turned on and Hermione thought she would see them all laughing at her but there was no one.

A cry came from behind her and she turned to see a basinet with a pink fluffy blanket in it. Hermione walked over to it slowly, dreading what would be in there. The blanket covered the baby completely and Hermione gently reached in and moved it away.

She screamed when she saw the inside. Hermione dropped the fluffy pink blanket and ran away from the basinet. Inside there had been a baby, but it was a decaying, putrefied baby reaching out its small rotted hands for her.

She heard laughter and couldn't help but stare at the basinet waiting for the thing to come out after her. Hermione watched as the baby sat up on its own and climbed out of the basinet agilely. It waddled over to her reaching out its hands.

"Mommy!"

Hermione was horrified and ran to the other side of the room, but it kept appearing every way she went.

"Mommy! Mommy!" The little voice chanted. Hermione sobbed against the wall, pounding on it with her fists as the child came closer and closer.

"Mama….mama…mama…" The voice was getting deeper and deeper and Hermione could feel it millimeters behind her, she could smell the stench on the body that was no longer a child. It was a man's body pressed against her. Rotted lips pressed against her ear and whispered, "Mommy"

Hermione whimpered and kept pounding on the wall as the chant grew louder and louder.

"Mommy!"

Louder still.

"Mommy!"

Hermione was screaming at this point, banging her hands against the wall so hard that her hands were starting to bleed.

The chanting stopped and Hermione tried to control her tears and sobs. Everything was the same as before, no basinet, no child and no man were in sight. She clutched her chest as she cried. Their laughter finally rang out into the room.

Hermione was still in the room, her breath barely there. She could feel something else in the room, something very dark. Too terrified to even look up she just stood there, frozen with fear.

The thing came closer and closer until it was right in front of her. It was breathing calmly and in her peripheral vision she saw it kneel down at her feet. She was too afraid to even open her eyes so she was entirely surprised when she heard a very familiar voice.

"Hermione. Look at me." Hermione lifted her head expecting to see the owner of the voice but she was so wrong. It wasn't Severus, though this Ginny had taken on his voice.

"Did you like that? Was it fun?" The Dark Ginny asked with a smile. Hermione just concentrated on breathing. Her heart was racing and she was sure Severus was worried.

"Guess what. That's only the beginning." The Ginny disappeared along with the light. Hermione didn't know what to expected, something horrible she knew.

The light came on and she saw a table and there was a family there having dinner. Hermione's breath caught in her throat was she saw it was her and Severus sitting there together. Two kids, one girl, one boy sat there as well and it was a happy family. The sight was so beautiful she smiled and in the next second there was a loud pop and her little girl's head fell into her dinner plate. Hermione shrieked in shock. The rest of the family kept on eating dinner as if nothing had gone wrong. There was another echoing pop and the little's boys arm fell to the ground, lifeless. The boy was losing blood and didn't seem to notice.

Hermione, the one in the family picked up her knife and looked at it carefully before reaching next to her and jamming it into Severus's eye.

Hermione watched as one by one they all somehow died or killed each other. It was one of the most horrifying things she'd ever seen. The whole family was dead now and then they were just gone.

Hermione suddenly felt numb, too much fear and terror. She was just done. The darkness crept upon her and she let it, knowing there was nothing she could do about. She buried her head between her knees and rocked back and forth.

Warm hands slide up her back and grabbed her arms, forcing her to lie back. Hermione kicked the hands away from her feet, done with the games.

The mysterious hands whispered something she couldn't hear but that didn't matter because she found out a second later. A burst of scalding hot water washed over her body, soaking and burning her. She gasped aloud and tried to breath but the water had got into her lungs and she was choking.

"Oh here let me help with that." One Ginny said and the lifted her so she was sitting upright. She coughed the water up with a sigh of relief.

"One more time I think." One whispered and Hermione found her face pushed underneath water and she fought harder than she ever had in her life. She must have landed one good kick because she came up from the water, soaked and cold and coughing and sputtering.

"There'll be a next time. You won't get rid of us. We're here to stay."

Hermione heard laughter echoing all around and she shivered at the sound and with the cold.

Hermione got to her feet and pulled open the door that had just appeared. She had to find the two Ginny's that helped her so they could at least tell her how to do this so called merge.

"In here!" Hermione twisted around and saw the Gold Ginny whispering at her. Hermione followed her she led her to a room that was a hot pink color.

"Where are we?"

"I have no idea, all I know it that when we got away and this was where we ended up." The Gold Ginny said. The Blue Ginny was silent and very badly beaten. They both were.

"How do I merge with them? With all of you?"

"You have to find the box. I don't know where it is, what color it is, or anything about it. I know it exists but I don't know anything… I'm sorry. You need to open it up, not destroy it. That is very important. That's all I know." The Gold Ginny told her and sat down next to the Blue Ginny.

"You'll be okay?" Hermione asked fearfully.

"We'll become yours. We won't be what we are now. I can't give you all the answers, Hermione. Only guesses."

"So I guess I need to go searching." She said shivering in her wet clothes.

"They will do anything to stop you." Ginny warned but Hermione already knew that.

"I'll do it and you'll be safe." Hermione said and Ginny smiled weakly at her.

"We love you so much, Hermione. You're the best friend anyone could ask for."

Hermione leaned down and hugged Ginny, missing her more than ever.

"Now hurry and go, you have a lot to do." Ginny told her. Hermione kissed the Blue Ginny on the forehead and ran out the black door, ready to search. It didn't matter that she was exhausted and cold and hurt, she had to do this, or suffer and suffer until she couldn't take it anymore.

She wasn't giving up yet and they wouldn't stop her from getting what she wanted no matter what disturbing and terrifying things they threw at her. She would find the box if it was the last thing she ever did.

She ended up in a gray room, but it was empty so she reached for the next but she heard a whisper from behind her.

"Who's laughing now, huh?"

Hermione turned around in time to see and feel the whip slash down her torso. She fell to her knees and shock settled in. Blood poured from the wound that was from her left shoulder to the right side of her hip.

Then she woke up.

* * *

A/N:Thanks for all the reviews guys! There should be more happy stuff soon! Let me know if any of this gets too dark.


	15. Captured

Chapter 15- Captured

Severus was grading essays while overseeing Hermione's experiment. He would look over every ten minutes to make sure nothing was fatly wrong with her. In the end he just couldn't focus on the essays. He conjured a chair and sat down next to her, wanting to take her hand but knowing it was only bring him pain. The kiss had been an act of impulse. He didn't want to let her go, not when he just found her. He had never felt this way before. The feelings were just so strong. He was absolutely certain that he loved her. There was no other explanation.

He looked at her again and noticed a change a very dark purple bruise was forming on one side of her face and her breathing was fast. Her breathing got fast and fast until Severus thought she was going to start hyperventilating. He also noticed that her hands were bleeding and Hermione let out a sound that could only be described as a whimper.

Hermione started to smile but it quickly fell into a frown. The he saw her skin start to turn pink asif she was being moaned and moaned and he could see tears running out of her eyes. Severus sighed, frustrated. He had no way to help her. The moaning and whimpering and tears continued for a while and then Hermione made a choked sound that made him look over at her quickly.

Her robes were ripped down her torso and then he saw all the blood and muscle behind the cut. It looked like she's been whipped.

He quickly pulled out his wand and healed the cut. Two seconds later the cut reopened and Hermione was too still and he was about to panic when he remembered that he, Severus Snape, never panicked under pressure. He's didn't survive a war, two wars actually for nothing.

He went to get the strongest healing potion that he had.

"Severus…" He turned back to her and saw her eyes wide as she looked down at her wound.

"That…bitch…I was so close." She breathed in a whisper.

"Hermione, drink this. It will heal your wound." Severus said gently. Hermione took it from him and he thought she was probably still in shock if she could talk and move around.

She swallowed the potion and stared at something behind him. "Go away." She said but when he turned around there was no one there.

Hermione's eyes closed and she fell unconscious from the pain she could feel now that the potion was healing her. Severus reached out to shake her and pulled his back when he got stung. He reached for his wand and tried to revive her but nothing worked. She was in there until she found her way out.

* * *

Hermione smashed into a body of water with a loud smack. She fought to swim to the top but hands were around her ankles pulling further and further under the water. She was pulled deep into the bottom of an ocean and just when she thought she would drown she was pushed into the white room landing on her knees, gasping for air.

She heard Ginny's laughter and looked up, "Enjoy your swim?" The White Ginny said, walking over to her carefully. She was wearing the highest heels Hermione had ever seen and each step was heard because of the clack of her heels. She circled Hermione, looking her over.

She came to stand in front of her and after a moment of gazing she lifted her foot and slammed it into the bottom of her chin, forcing her neck upward. She let out a small cry because it really really hurt.

"You have no idea what we have planned for you." The white Ginny left her alone in the white room. Hermione stood up but the door disappeared before she could reach it. She turned every way but there was no door and she pressed her hands to the walls trying to find some way out.

"Hey, my turn silly." Hermione froze in her searching. She knew now to only suspect the worst when she heard a child voice in here. Knowing she really had no choice but to turn around, so she did.

There were four little girls sitting in a square on the floor. That was the disturbing part. The each had a small knife and they were taking turn, drawing figure on their skin.

"Hi." One girl said happily and motioned for Hermione to come closer. Hermione really didn't want to but she definitely didn't want to see those girls get mad.

She came and sat down next to one of the girls.

"My name is Kylie." The girl told her as if nothing was wrong. Kylie was currently carving a heart into the girls arms across from her.

"My name is Sally and this is Kennedy." Hermione realized then all the girls were identical.

"I'm Evelyn."

"Hermione, it's your turn." Kylie said and handed her a knife. Hermione took the knife and could hardly believe what she was about to do.

"Draw a star!" Sally said and Hermione took her outstretched arm. Looking around at all the girls she pressed the knife into her skin, making a long line. Horrified with herself she pulled away, why had she done that?

"It's a funny room, you know. Makes you a little crazy." Evelyn said, or at least Hermione thought it was her. They all looked the same.

"Hermione, you didn't finish the star!"

As if something was forcing her to do it, she grabbed the little girl's arm and finished carving the star.

"Isn't that pretty?" Hermione nodded weakly at her. She felt like she was going to be sick.

"Well done girls, you can go now."

They all ran from the room through the door but Hermione didn't make it before the door closed. She pounded on the white walls.

"Let me out!" She begged but there was no answer. She heard a drip drip drip and she looked up. One of the little girls was pinned on the ceiling. That wasn't something she hadn't seen before. What she hadn't seen before was the smile on her face. She started to laugh even as her blood dripping down the walls.

"Isn't this fun, Mione?" She laughed.

Hermione let out a small cry because that was what Ron always called her.

"No, stop, please stop!"

She heard a door open behind her and the sound of footsteps.

"Sit down." One of the Ginnys' said. Hermione turned around slowly, knowing it was pointless to refuse. It was the Dark Ginny and she was pointing to the black chair.

"The girls are darlings aren't they?" She said with a smile. Hermione didn't answer her. She just kept looking around the room as more blood fell against the white walls.

"Are you going to ignore me?" She hissed furious in an instant. Hermione still said nothing and really what was there to say. Ginny was in charge here.

She heard the footsteps come closer and the Dark Ginny grabbed her by her hair and dragged her over to the chair and pushed her in it. Restraints bound her wrists to each arm of the chair and her ankles were bound to the legs of the chair.

"There we go." She said grinning widely. Hermione tensed when the arms of the chair started to get hot then hotter and until it was searing her skin. She was screaming and screaming but the burning never stopped.

"Music to my ears!" Ginny yelled over her screaming. The burning ceased and Hermione could barely keep her eyes open.

"Oh don't go to sleep now, you'll miss the finale." Ginny urged her.

Hermione looked up and her heart skipped a beat in her chest.

"Mum? Dad?"

* * *

A/N: There should be another chapter or two of the dark stuff and then it goes back to the happy stuff. I can hardly believe how many reviews I've gotten. Thanks so much!


	16. What's In The Box?

Chapter 16- What's in the Box?

Hermione watched as her parent's kneeled at the Dark Ginny's feet. They seemed unharmed but that only meant it just hadn't happened yet. Hermione was just glad it wasn't really her parents, only the ones in her head. She would just have to tell herself that it wasn't real.

"You mum is pretty, is that where you get it from?" The Red Ginny appeared out of nowhere and hissed in her ear from behind. Hermione felt sick and leaned away from her.

"Hey now…" She said and pulled Hermione's head back with both her hands so it was flat against the back of the chair.

"Hermione, honey, what's going on?" Her mother asked and the Dark Ginny kicked her in the back so she fell over on her hands and knees. Her dad was picked up by his hair and pulled off behind her. She heard the whoosh of a fan and she heard a scream followed by a sickening sound. The fan fell silent. That was when her mother stood up and started to scream, loud horrible bloodcurdling screams. Hermione didn't need to turn around to know what had happened. She felt bile rise in her throat and she swallowed the vomit. Her mother was still screaming and Hermione saw them grab her. The restraints on her chair released but not in time for her to save her mum.

There was a giant revolving fan and she saw her father's flesh tangled in it but most of it was splattered on the opposite wall. Her mother was dragged and the Dark Ginny pushed her into the fan. She heard her mother scream and then there was silence as the fan slowly turned to a stop.

The Dark Ginny came to face her and grabbed her chin tightly.

"They're pretty as a picture." She said smiling evilly. Hermione spit in her face and immediately regretted it. Ginny slapped her across the face, and then again and again and again until Hermione couldn't keep count.

"I think she likes it." That was the White Ginny and she felt them take turns until she was sure her face was entirely swollen.

Hermione felt dazed and for a second she forgot what she was even doing here.

"We're going to enjoy torturing you for the rest of your life. Every time you lay down to sleep you'll stay up for hours terrified of meeting us when you finally fall asleep. We'll be there for every night terror. And we will _own_ your mind. You don't know who you've messed with!" The Ginny warned her and landed a kick in her gut.

Hermione peek out through her bruised eyes and caught the Ginny's eye.

"Bitch, you don't know who _you've _messed with."

Hermione rolled over and fell through the hole in the room. Despite her injuries she was proud of herself. She could control her own mind now, they didn't have the advantage. She just had to want it enough and know how to visualize it.

She was in a green room and one Ginny was sitting in front of a mirror slowly brushing her long hair. Her hair was longer than Ginny's had ever been. She was also a Ginny she had never seen before.

"Hi." She said with a small friendly smile. So far, Hermione didn't detect anything amiss.

"Hello. Who are you?"

She smiled again and set down the brush. "Who are you?" She asked and Hermione frowned. More games?

"Hermione."

She picked up her brush again and came to stand behind her. She started to brush Hermione's hair with soft gentle strokes.

"Do you remember when we used to do this? It was your forth year I think. We both thought Cedric was cute and we did each other's hair on the day of the world cup. Do you remember?"

Hermione nodded, holding her tears back. She couldn't be vulnerable here, there was too much danger.

"We laughed and giggled talking about him. Then you said, 'It seems like he's more interested in Harry than us.' Do you remember how funny we thought that was? We laughed for hours!" Hermione laughed then and finally relaxed against the Ginny behind her.

"There was that time when he both thought Harry was dead, when he came out of that maze? I thought my heart must have stopped but you took my hand and squeezed and told me, 'Everything will be okay. He'll make it through.' You're always so strong for everyone." She said and kept brushing her hair, never minding the blood crusted in it.

"And then during that battle. There was so much going one, so many individual fights, we got separated and the first thing I thought is 'I have to find Hermione.' One because you would protect me and second because I wanted to protect you. That's what I'm doing now. No one can hurt you here."

"I've missed you so much, Ginny." Hermione said and though Ginny hadn't really been dead for a week, it had been a long time since they had been like this. Sisters.

"I know, but I'll always be with you. Literally." She said with a laugh and kept brushing and brushing.

"I'm so sorry I couldn't save you. I tried so hard."

Ginny turned her around and cupped her face in her hands, "I know how hard you tried. I couldn't have asked for more. You're were my fierce protector until the end and you even let me have my goodbye with Harry. There's nothing more you could have done and I love you for how hard you tried." Ginny pulled her into a strong hug and stroked her hair. Hermione hugged her back and a few tear drops escaped. How would she go on never seeing her again?

"Like I said, I'll always be here anytime you need me. After you've taken care of your problem, I'll be free to roam."

"Is there a way to put you back into Ginny, isn't there a way to save you?" Hermione practically pleaded.

Ginny frowned at her, "You know there isn't. My mind was fried with dark magic. It imploded."

Hermione nodded and wiped away her tears. She just had to accept she was gone and never coming back.

"Just remember all the good times we had, Mione. I'm with Ronald now and he's keep me company. You know how he is." Hermione let out a laugh and nodded.

"And…one other thing I know I have to say is. Severus Snape is one lucky man." Ginny said it was such confidence that Hermione laughed again and hugged her.

"Will you still be here after I find the box?"

Ginny nodded and sat back down in front of her mirror to continue brushing her hair.

"I love you, Mione." She heard her say before she opened the door and went onto the next room.

The next room was purple and in each corner of the room was a different box. There was a red, black, blue and purple box. Hermione looked around at all of them in confusion. No one said anything about multiple boxes.

How was she supposed to know which box to open? Throwing caution to the wind she reached for the red box and slowly opened the lid. A wisp of black smoke slipped out of the box and she heard evil laughter.

She threw the box out of her hands when it started to burn. Out of any new ideas she just moved from box to box. She opened the black box and the same smoke came out and suffocated her for a moment. Coughing she reached for the blue box and smoke released from that one too.

The purple box remained and she opened the lid slowly and she was engulfed in a blinding white light.

* * *

A/N:More soon! Thanks for reviews


	17. The Take Over

Chapter 17- The Take Over

The blinding white light was gone in the next second and when her eyes adjusted she saw six Hermione's standing over her.

The first Hermione was blue, the second was gold, the third was white, the forth was green, the fifth was black and then there was the sixth one who was purple.

"I don't understand." Hermione blurted out and then flushed, embarrassed. The Hermione's all smiled at her, even the black one, which confused her.

"We are all here to help. Girl's why don't you go fetch the problems while I explain things here." That was the Purple one that had spoken. The others all exited the door and she was left alone with the Purple Hermione.

"Ginny, dear?" The Purple Hermione called and the Green Ginny came into the room, smiling widely. She ran over to Hermione and pulled her into a tight hug.

"I knew you could do it." She whispered into her ear. Hermione hugged her back before releasing her.

"I don't know that I'm out of danger yet. The purple box was the last one I opened and black smoke came out of the others."

The Purple Hermione stiffened and looked absolutely terrified.

* * *

The other Hermione's went from room to room, searching for the rogue Ginny's.

"Hi, girls!" They spun around and saw not two rouge Ginny's but ten. They had multiplied in some way and now the Hermione's were outnumbered.

"We've been waiting so long for this moment. You're going to pay for killing us." The White Hermione took a step in front of the group and the White Ginny also stepped to the front.

They slowly raised their hands and out shot fire from the White Ginny and earth spewed from the White Hermione. The pieces of earth ripped open her skin as they collided with her body, and the fire burned the forearms of the White Hermione.

Everyone was completely silent for a whole minute and then the black room was filled fighting of every kind. Manic laughter filled the room and the black Hermione clutched her head at the sound. The black Hermione wasn't the equivalent of the Black Ginny. She was actually happiness. The Green Hermione stepped forward and was pushed back by a wave of magic from the Black Ginny.

It was merely minutes before the Hermione's were defeated. The Ginny's shackled them together with dark magic and then left them in the black room, ready for the game to begin. They weren't going out without a fight and now it seemed they had to upper hand.

* * *

Hermione looked between Ginny and the Purple Hermione. She knew she was missing something but she didn't know what.

"I've sent them to the slaughter. That smoke was multiplying the dark and evil Ginny's. They're probably already destroyed."

Ginny soothed Hermione by rubbing her back. Hermione shook her head.

"I don't think they are. Those two, they like to play." Hermione said and the Purple Hermione seemed to agree with her after a second of deliberation.

"I have the power to stop them but it's a matter of finding the Ginny's before they destroy the Hermione's."

"What part are you of me?" Hermione asked curiously.

"I'm your elemental magic." She answered and Hermione nodded, not really surprised.

"Now, I suggest we start looking." She continued looking very angry. Hermione was just glad she was here to help and not to stop her.

* * *

The Hermione's were shivering on the cold hard floor. Ice cold water had been poured over them and then scalding hot water. It went back and forth.

"I think they're getting bored!" The Black Ginny's chorused. They heard footsteps and moved around as far as the chains would let them. The chains were bolted into the floor so there was no chance of escape.

"You see, I have a theory that I want to try." The Black Ginny said and gripped the face of the nearest Hermione, the Gold one. She conjured a knife and made the smallest cut on the side of her face. The same mark appeared on all of the Hermione's.

"Like I thought." The Ginny said happily and without a seconds hesitation she shoved the knife into the gut of the Gold Hermione. The Gold Hermione looked at the knife and at the Black Ginny who had put it there. Then she crumpled to the ground.

* * *

"Oh no…" The Purple Ginny said and fell to her knees. Hermione and Ginny reached for her and saw the wound forming on her stomach.

"I can heal it." Ginny said and pressed her hand to the wound and closed her eyes. Her hand glowed and then the mark was healed.

"They're being tortured aren't they?" Hermione said sadly and then stopped moving looking down.

"Guys…" She said in a whisper before dropping to her knees herself. Ginny helped her to lay down.

"This I cant heal. You have him watching over you don't you?" Ginny asked but Hermione didn't answer. Everything was floating in and out of focus.

"Severus…" she whispered."

* * *

The Ginny's watched as the Hermione's were healed. The Black Ginny, the leading one, grabbed the Gold Hermione again.

"Where is she?" She demanded and slapped the Gold Hermione across the face.

"Like I'd tell you." She snapped and Ginny lifted her up higher just to throw her back onto the ground, hard.

"And you, will you tell me where she is?" They all shook their heads, but then Ginny smiled evilly.

"Come on girls, I think I remember what will make her talk." The Ginny's disappeared and the Hermione's watch with apprehension as four little girls appeared. They each had decaying blue and green skin and they each clutched a teddy bear, or what they assumed was a teddy bear.

* * *

"Hermione, hun, can you hear me?" Ginny asked her softly, stroking the hair away from her face. Hermione whined as she opened her eyes and tried to sit up.

"Shhh, go slow. You're lucky you have someone watching over you." Ginny said and Hermione could focus on what was going on. She was still with Ginny and the Purple Hermione but now she could see her blood staining the floor.

"Come on, we need to hurry." The Purple Hermione urged. Hermione got to her feet with the help from Ginny.

"Why couldn't you heal me, Ginny?" Hermione asked as they slipped out of the room.

"Because your wound also appeared in the real world. This Hermione only exists in your head so I could heal her but not you. Severus was there so you're fine now." Hermione smiled at her.

"Come on girls. We have to hurry."

* * *

They weren't not teddy bears, they were fetuses, misshapen and dripping with some kind of fluid. The Hermione's closed their eyes but the children started to make their way to them.

"Do you remember us?" They said at the same time.

The Hermione tried to move away but their chains kept them there as the children came to sit down with them and started to play with their 'dolls'.

" It's play time, you know." One of the children whispered and in the next second a door appeared and Hermione, Ginny, and the Purple Hermione fell through it. The children disappeared and everything was silent for a moment.

"Girls…everyone okay?" The Purple Hermione asked and they all nodded looking quite terrified and nauseated.

"Now time to go!" They were released from their chains and were out the door in seconds. They ended up in Ginny's green room, all cold and exhausted.

"What do we do now?" Ginny asked, picking up her brush like she was going to try and brush everyone's hair.

"We do this." The Purple Hermione said and raised her palm and blow on it slowly. In the white gray smoke something for and it landed on the ground on four legs.

* * *

A/N:This chapter was hard to write. Hope it doesn't suck.


	18. Animal Inside

Chapter 18- Animal Inside

The animal took the form of a white-gray wolf and it was enormous, the largest animal she had ever seen. It had glistening sharp white teeth and Hermione could see the muscle definition in the shoulders and legs.

"Are you ready for this to be over?" The Purple Hermione asked with a confident smile. Ginny stood up and reached over to stroke the beast's head. He growled contently at her and came to whine at Hermione's feet.

"This is your strength." The Hermione's chorused with wide smiles. Everyone reached out to pet and scratch the wolf, fascinated with its huge body.

"How will it help us?" Hermione asked curiously. The Green Ginny came to sit next to her and said, "It's immune to dark magic and physical harm. Like you said, it's your strength."

"Now, let's go take care of this." The Purple Hermione said and everyone filed out of the door. The wolf was in the lead and was sniffing out something. A loud growl scared Hermione out of her skin but the others seemed to expect it. Hermione leaned forward and looked past all the Hermione's.

The wolf was devouring a Ginny right in front of her, one of the white ones. Hermione turned away, nausea taking over for a moment. The Green Ginny took her hand and pulled her close.

"It's not me, it a part of me that's bee twisted by dark magic. You don't need to feel badly about this." She whispered and the wolf was finished with her. The Ginny didn't even have a chance and Hermione told herself that was a good thing.

They went to another room, but there weren't any Ginny's. The four little girls were sitting in their square, carving pictures into each other's skin without any sound. They looked up when we entered, took in the wolf, and then let out the most horrific screams Hermione had ever heard in her life. They were screaming so hard that their blood vesicles burst in their eyes making blood pour from their eyes.

The wolf whined under the sound of their screams but pushed forward and engulfed two of the children at once and bit their heads off. The other two children screamed and backed into each corner of the room and then reached to clutch each other when the wolf descended upon them.

Hermione felt even worse but Ginny held onto her hand and kept whispering soothing things. They went into the next room and the rest of the Ginny's were in the room and twisted around quickly at the sound of the door opening.

The looks on their faces made Hermione smile and she wondered if they had even considered the possibility of losing this war.

"No…." The main Black Ginny breathed and backed away from the wolf. That action started the battle and the wolf charged at the Ginny's tearing them apart. It was a minute until only two were left. The White and the Black Ginny but the wolf didn't attack them and sat back and seemed to be waiting for something.

The black box appeared in the center of the room and the Ginny's were both sucked into the box, wailing as they went. The Purple Hermione handed Hermione a box and motioned to the black one.

"It goes in there." She said and Ginny pushed her forward.

"What will happen?"

Ginny spoke first, "No way to tell."

"Is this the end?" Hermione asked looking around to each face, parts of herself she knew and cared about. What if they were torn apart by this? What if she wasn't the same?

"If there was another way we would be doing it." The Purple Hermione said softly.

"Why cant the wolf just get rid of them and the rest of the dark magic?" Hermione asked them. Ginny knelt down by her and took her hand.

"The magic isn't gone or defeated. It's been stored. You can't destroy magic this old and this dark."

Hermione looked back down at the box and felt her eyes tear up, "I don't want to be dark." Ginny pressed their foreheads together.

"You won't be dark but you won't be the same, I can't tell you what you'll become but there is no alternative. I wish there was." Ginny leaned away and let go of her hand. Hermione picked up the box, looking around at the familiar parts of her once again.

She slowly opened the huge black box and then placed the purple box inside before closing the lid. For second nothing happened and then the room flipped upside down, throwing them around, slamming them into walls. The room continued to roll and they quickly lost count of how many times it did.

When it finally came to a stop the room wasn't a dark black any longer, no it was black with swirls of purple and white and green. The boxes were gone and Hermione looked around. Ginny was getting to her feet and smiled at her.

"So far so good." She said and helped the other Hermione's to their feet. Hermione wandered to the door and turned the knob slowly. The room was red and black and it had its own boxes, one purple and one black.

"Guys?" Ginny came over to her followed by the Hermione's.

"Well that's new." The Hermione's said at the same time.

"What does it mean? Why are their more boxes?" Hermione asked.

"I think there might have been too much magic in the boxes and they split to even things out. Balance is a big part of magic." The Gold Hermione said.

Hermione went into the red and black room and then opened the door to the next room. It was pure purple and a larger black box and purple box sat in the room side by side.

"I think everything worked out okay." Ginny said and pulled Hermione back to her Green room. The room was now a darker green but other than that it was the same.

"I have to tell you something and you're not going to like it." Ginny said.

Hermione held her breath and then exhaled, "What?"

Ginny pulled out her brush and came to sit behind Hermione on the sofa. As she was brushing she started to speak.

"I know a little more about what's happened and you'll realize when you wake up what those things are." Ginny said softly, continuing to brush.

"What kind of things?"

"I don't know if what you did will still keep you and Severus apart. It could and it couldn't. I don't know how to tell unless you try to touch him. There's one more thing."

She turned Hermione around and took both her hands, "You wont come back to this place again for a long time. Your mind needs time to heal and maybe you could master the art of being able to visit your own mind. The only way you've been able to do that it because the Ginny's wanted you here and then it was the Hermione's that needed you here." Ginny held her hands tighter when she moved away.

"I'm sorry, but I'll be here when you do figure it out and I'll always be here for you."

"But you won't be here, literally. You lied to me; you said you would be here! I…I can't lose you again." Hermione pleaded but Ginny was just looking at her while she struggled to keep herself together.

"I want that more than anything, but it isn't possible. We'll see each other again someday Hermione. This isn't a final goodbye."

Hermione was pulled into a hug and she hugged her back as hard as she could.

"Thank you, Ginny, for so much." Hermione whispered.

"Anytime Hermione. Anything for you." Ginny said and continued.

"Okay, time for you to go back home where you belong. Besides someone is waiting for you."

Hermione smiled at her one last time and whispered, "I love you." Before closing her eyes and waking up.

* * *

A/N: How was it?


	19. Changes

Chapter 19- Changes

Hermione's eyes fluttered open and focused on the pale ceiling in her sight. She tried to turn her head but the movement sent waves of pain though her.

"Shhh don't move Miss Granger…" The voice was one she didn't recognize and she looked at the face and she had no idea who this person was.

"Who?" She croaked weakly.

"I'm the new healer at Hogwarts. Ummm I hear the other one went a little…mad."

For a moment Hermione thought the girl was kidding and then she started to laugh and it felt really good to laugh. But it only took another second for her to remember everything that had happened.

"Severus?" She asked hoping he was nearby but he wasn't in the infirmary. Why wasn't anyone here?

"It's lunch time, are you hungry?" The healer asked but Hermione wasn't listening. She was trying to calculate how long she's been out.

"How long have I been here?"

"It's been eight days counting today." She said and Hermione struggled to sit up.

"Wow, too early for that." The healer warned but she didn't know what she had been through. Hermione could handle the throbbing pain in her head.

It was then she noticed something different about her skin. She was normally a golden tan color but now her skin was the palest white and her nails were black. They weren't painted or charmed, they were just black. Unnerved she asked for a mirror. The healer conjured one and handed it to her. Hermione let out a gasp when she saw her reflection in the mirror.

Her hair was no longer brown and curly, but black and straight. Her eyes were a deeper green, darker than Harry's. The shape of her face was thinner but that could be because she'd lost a pound or two while she was unconscious. She also had a cut the angled down her left cheek.

"Hermione?" That was Harry's voice and she looked over and smiled at him. He looked exhausted and sad, but not overtly so.

"What was going on in there?" He asked coming to sit by her bedside. Hermione reached out and touched his hand but Harry pulled away.

"Ouch!" He exclaimed and Hermione's heart sank. No, it couldn't be. Harry put his hand in hers and this time there wasn't a sting. Harry held her hand as she started to tell him what happened but then the door opened and Severus was the one to walk through it.

"Severus." Hermione breathed, forgetting about Harry for a second. Severus came over to her and put his hand out, wanting to get it over with.

Hermione held his gaze as she put out her hand. When they touched there was a very sharp sting. Severus pulled away looking crestfallen but Hermione grabbed his hand again and there was only a little hum of vibration.

Hermione pulled him forward and kissed him roughly on the mouth, ignoring when he let out a moan of surprise. Severus kissed her for a few moments, basking in the feel of her lips. He pulled away and smiled at her before bringing a hand to brush the hair away from her face. The action brought on a bout of tears. She could still feel Ginny brushing her hair as if it had happened five minutes ago instead of days.

"A lot happened." Hermione told him and he nodded and sat down for the story.

"Hermione?" That was Harry and he looked confused but not angry.

"Yes?" She asked with an edge to her voice. Harry opened his mouth then shut it.

"That's what I thought."

Hermione waited while Harry conjured another chair and sat down.

"First I guess you need to know about the boxes. When I was in Ginny's mind…there was a black box that contained all of her dark magic. In order to get rid of it I had to destroy it, only it didn't kill Ginny, instead she came with me when I woke up. She's in my mind. Ginny was there helping me find my way. I had to find the box in my own mind. I'm now a hybrid, meaning I'm and Elemental and a Leviathan." Hermione paused and let them absorb that.

"How can that be?" Severus asked, "How did you do that?"

"It all has to do with the boxes. I placed my box that contained elemental magic in a box that contained the dark magic. Then the magic merged on its own."

"But are you alright?" That was Harry and Hermione smiled at him.

"Of course. Or so far I'm okay. I don't understand the physical changes but it's nothing I can't handle."

"What all happened? You have a new scar on your stomach, its like you were stabbed in the gut." Harry asked curiously.

"This is a lot to explain guys, but the short version is there was different parts of me in my mind and one of those parts got hurt so it hurt me as well. Does that make sense?"

Severus nodded, "It does, and I've always thought that was how the mind represented each part of a person."

Hermione remembered what Ginny said about mastering the art of visiting your own mind.

"Severus? Ginny said something to me about being able to visit my mind. Have you ever heard anything about that?"

"I have, but it's very advanced. It would take you years to master it. I can teach you though. I mastered that when I was twenty five. It's a very taxing thing to learn. Why exactly do you want to go back into your mind?"

"She said she would always be there for me. I want to be able to see her again someday."

"Ginny?" Harry asked and Hermione nodded slowly, suddenly uncomfortable. She had Ginny in her mind, could eventually see her someday and what was Harry left with? Just memories that would fade with time?

"Okay boys, it's time to let the patient rest." The healer came in and smiled at them. Neither of them moved so she sighed and went back to her office.

"Hermione what are you doing?"

She was getting off the bed and standing up she was still wearing her clothes from the day she first went into her mind.

"I want a shower and a nice bed to lie in. I feel fine."

They both looked worried but didn't try to stop her. Hermione walked calmly out of the infirmary and headed towards the room of requirement. A pounding started in her head sounding and feeling like a drum was being beaten.

By the time she reached the room she could barely stand. She pushed the door and made it to her bed before closing her eyes and willing the headache away.

She opened her eyes and froze. She was no longer in her room. She was on the Hogwarts grounds hand and hand with Severus and they were just walking. Severus raised his hand and Hagrid's hut went up in flames. Hermione let out horrified gasp. Why would Severus do that?

"Why the shocked face, love? I told you I would burn the castle to the ground and we would rule together. You will be my queen."

Hermione turned to look at Severus and at first he looked the same but then she noticed his eyes. They were blood red and he had a smile that sent shivers of fear through her.

"I promise you that they will all suffer." He said and kissed her but even his kiss didn't feel the same. It wasn't love based here, wherever she was.

He let her go and headed back up to the castle but before she turned to follow him she saw something painted in the sky. It was one word. _Hell._

* * *

A/N: I tried to do something unexpected, did I succeed?


	20. All's Well in Hell

Chapter 20- All's Well in Hell

Hermione sat upright was a gasp, sucking in air quickly. Her heart was racing and her skin was covered in sweat. What the hell had happened?

She looked around her room and saw it was the same as it had been this whole year. Calming down she went into the bathroom and turned on the water to start the shower. She leaned over the sink trying to understand what had happened. It felt like she'd actually been there! A squeaking sound made her look up. She screamed and backed into the far wall her heart racing again.

_Welcome to hell_ was written on the mirror in blood. She grabbed the door knob and yanked but it wouldn't open. When she turned around she saw that the message was gone.

"I'm losing my mind." She said aloud to herself. Stripping off her clothes she got in the shower and tried to let the warm water wash away her fears. That only lasted for about a minute.

"_You'll be my queen."_ It was whispered in her ear and she shrieked turning around in the shower but Severus wasn't there and she was entirely alone. It was his voice she was sure and Hermione have sworn she felt his breath on her neck.

Shaken, she grabbed her towel and wrapped it around her. She leaned on the sink to whip away the condensation on the mirror. Hermione felt a hand wrap around her mouth and hiss into her ear,

"I'll rip you and your husband apart for killing my family." Then the hand was gone and she could breathe again. Hermione knew there was something terribly wrong. What if this was part of being half a Leviathan. What if she would have these visions or episodes forever?

A knock on her door made her jump.

"Hermione, are you alright? you've been gone for two hours." It was Severus. She quickly pulled on her clothes and opened the door.

He knew right away something was wrong.

"What happened to you?"

"What do you mean?" She asked. He pushed her over to the mirror and there was a bruise on her face from where the man had grabbed her.

"Oh…I don't know what's wrong with me Severus. I have no idea. I thought this was all over; I thought I wouldn't have to worry anymore." She said, close to tears.

"I'll help you, Hermione. I won't let anything happen to you."

Hermione looked at him cautiously. "I think I went to an alternate reality, Severus. Is that possible?"

The pale look on Severus's face told her not only was it possible it was very bad.

"I need you to tell me exactly what happened there. There are many types of alternate realities."

Hermione swallowed before she began, "You and I were walking on the grounds holding hands. We reached Hagrid's hut and you set it on fire, using elemental magic. You kept saying that I would be your queen and we would rule together and we would burn this castle to the ground. Right before I woke up I saw the word _hell_ written in the sky." Hermione finished watching his face for a reaction.

"Is that everything?"

"No, I was in the shower and I felt you there with me, you whispered in my ear." Hermione paused and waited for him to process before moving on.

"You said, you'll be my queen."

Severus shook his head, "It's not me. It's another me from another world."

Hermione nodded, "I know that. I knew the moment I saw you in that world. I know who you are." She said taking his hand and holding it tightly. He kept her gaze and they just stared at one another for a few moments.

"Continue, I know there is more."

"There was a message written on the mirror in blood it said, _Welcome to hell. _In the next second it was gone."

"I don't have answers but I'll try and find them. I don't know how to keep you from falling back to that world. I do know the more you're there the harder it will be to get back." Severus told her warningly, as if she could control when she went there.

"I can't control it. It just happens." She said accusingly. Severus sighed, "I know that, Hermione. I was just informing you."

"Okay, I don't want to be alone right now." She said softly and he took her hand again.

"I have things to grade you can come with me." He said and she slipped on shoes to follow him out the door. She felt as if someone was watching her the whole way so she grabbed his hand with scared eyes. He sighed; looking around to make sure no one was there. The action hurt Hermione. Was he ashamed to be seen with her? She was too afraid or she would have pulled away and gone straight back to her room.

They made it to their room and Hermione made herself comfortable on the sofa. She was suddenly exhausted it was only minutes before she was asleep.

She was in a forgotten place. Houses were half burnt to the ground, some already turned to ash and the grassed was burnt as well. She was the only person for miles, aside from her king, Severus.

He was in one of the house that hadn't been burnt and she could hear their screams as he killed them. Hermione looked around and knew she couldn't run. It would show him that something was wrong. She had to play her part.

"Honey! Come and play!" He called and Hermione went into the house with a poker face. She could do this.

Only she couldn't, not when she saw the parents strung up and the children sitting there watching as their parents were about to be burned alive.

"I know how you like the children." Severus said kissing her on the cheek. She shuddered with revulsion but didn't let it show. She grabbed the nearest boy and he didn't even put up a fight.

"You'll never win. What will all this get you? What is it you want?" The boy said and Hermione saw Severus watching. She raised her wand and it was suddenly as if she couldn't control the body she was in. The wand sliced his head diagonally and his body slumped forward. Hermione was inwardly horrified with herself. How was this possible?

"That's the spirit. We'll claim this land as ours and we will rule an even larger kingdom." Severus said with glee in his voice. He pulled her in for a possessive kiss and she was disgusted to taste the blood on his lips. He had slaughtered the other kids and their blood was all over him.

"How is our little one?"

That question put fear in her that she had never felt before. She looked down at her body and her stomach was swollen with a child. She looked back up at Severus trying to hide the shock and fear in her. How had she not noticed? How could she slaughter children when she about to have one of her own?

"Fine, just fine." She breathed.

* * *

A/N: Another surprise?


	21. What's Inside

Chapter 21- What's Inside?

"What on earth happened?" That was Severus's voice and she could hear the healer trying to calm him.

"Severus, it's okay, I'm fine." Hermione spoke up and tried to sit up only to find the task much harder than it should be. Having a bad feeling she looked down at herself and pressed her hand to her now swollen belly. She lifted her head and swallowed.

"Get it out of me." She said. This child was from that evil world she had been to and she didn't want it here. It had to be evil or dark in some way.

"Come again?" The healer said.

"I said get this out of me!" Hermione said starting to breathe much too quickly. Severus took her hand and she squeezed his.

"I'm afraid I don't know what you mean. You aren't far enough along."

"I mean kill it!"

Severus stiffened next to her and she suddenly felt like she was missing something.

"That is illegal in the wizarding world Hermione. You would go to Azkaban for it." Severus told her.

Hermione closed her eyes and counted to ten hoping when she opened them again everything would be right. No such luck.

"This isn't my baby, it's her baby!" Hermione said about to start panicking.

"Hermione, calm down. We'll figure this out. Just tell us what you saw."

Hermione moved her hands off her stomach and took a deep breath.

"We were in a little village and it was being burnt to the ground. There was one family left and you…no he was killing them. They gave a child to me and I didn't have any control, my body killed the boy and then I realized that I was pregnant. I just woke up after that."

Severus sighed and hesitantly placed his hand on her stomach. He flinched with surprise when he felt a little kick.

"Hermione, you don't know that this baby is evil." Severus said slowly. Then he looked over at the healer and said, "Do the scan."

The healer raised her wand and said a spell Hermione had never heard of. The 3d image of the baby was displayed and it was definitely worse that she could have ever imagined. Not only was the baby evil it was also shaped oddly. The features didn't match a human baby. No, this child wasn't human it was a monster and it was inside of her.

Hermione looked away from the picture before she threw up. Severus told her to end the scan and she hesitated for speaking, "I'm not sure but maybe we could…work something out and give you another option. I don't think adoption is going to work out, but maybe a foster home."

Hermione looked at the healer with an incredulous expression. Was she serious?

"Are you out of your mind?! This thing isn't human!" The healer looked surprised.

"What are you thinking it is?" Hermione glared at the healer growing closer and closer to hating her.

"It's not human I can tell you that but I don't know what it is." Hermione explained as if she was speaking to a four year old. Severus covered his laugh with a cough and Hermione glared over at him.

"Wonder who's the daddy, Severus?" Hermione said sarcastically but then she thought about it.

"Is there a way to find out?" Hermione asked the healer.

She nodded her head yes and waved her wand again.

_Severus Snape._

The words were carved into the air and then vanished. Severus looked panicked but not surprised.

"Now you know how it feels. This isn't my baby and it's not yours either." Hermione told him and he nodded in agreement.

* * *

Hermione left the Infirmary and walked with Severus down the hall. It was more like she waddled though with the wide load attached to her front. Severus seemed to think that was amusing but in reality it was just annoying. They made it to his rooms and Hermione picked up the book she was reading and curled up on the sofa as best she could. Severus returned to grading his papers and Hermione frowned when she realized tomorrow was Monday and he would have classes. What if she got stuck in that other world while he was gone? What if she got hurt and bled out before he help her?

"Severus?" She asked after twenty minutes of debating.

"Yes, dear?" He said and she glared over at him. He thought he was funny, didn't he?

"Never mind." She said and returned to her book. He sighed dramatically and returned to his grading.

About an hour later Hermione started to feel….off. Like there might be something wrong. There a feeling of heat spreading throughout her stomach and it got worse and worse until she thought there must have been a fire in there. She was screaming and arching off the sofa. Severus was by her side in a second asked what was wrong.

"It burns so bad." Hermione choked out and slowly the burning went down and faded away. They both looked at each other thinking the same thing. When was this going to be over?

Exhausted she tried to stay awake, because she knew she would go to that other world when she fell asleep. Hermione felt her eyes drift off and then she was lost to reality.

* * *

Hermione was in Hogwarts she could tell, but everything was darker and scarier. She was walking alone, her belly still swollen, but more so than the last time. She entered a room on her left and inside was a fully furnished bedroom and Severus was lying on the bed half naked, stroking his sword. He let it prick his finger and smeared his blood up and down the shaft. It didn't look like Gryffindor's sword but it must have been powerful. Why else would he have it?

"There you are! Are you ready for it to be over? It's almost time. You know it will be over soon and then we will have the ultimate weapon." He said longingly.

Hermione gave him what she hoped was a reassuring smile but she didn't think she got it right. He came over and kissed her and she tried to pretend it was her Severus and not this evil twisted version. He had her lie down in bed to rest and he took his sword and put his clothes back on. Hermione couldn't help but wonder if the sword would come back with blood dripping from the tip.

* * *

Severus knew something was wrong the moment she fell asleep. After just a few seconds she sat upright and looked all around.

"Where am I?" She screamed and then she saw him.

"Oh, Severus, where are we?"

Severus came around and took her hands but a strong sting made him pulled away. He knew then that this was definitely not his Hermione. She backed away from him and held her stomach as if protecting it.

"Where am I?" she repeated with an edge to her voice.

"Calm down Hermione and I'll explain." She didn't sit down but she did seem like she was listening.

"I'm almost positive that you are from an alternate reality. My Hermione is where you are supposed to be. You switched places. Do you understand?"

"Why?" She spit out moving further away from him. Severus sighed heavily. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately.

"I have no idea. We're trying to figure it out. You're pregnant right; well when the Hermione from this world went to yours she came back pregnant too. So you must have a deeper connection other than the obvious one. That's all I know. You'll go back to your world soon enough."

"How do I know that I can trust you?" She asked, resuming her act of rubbing her stomach.

"Would your husband ever hurt you?" He asked her and she shook her head.

"I wouldn't either. You're safe here."

She finally sat down and Severus watched as her eyes closed and then popped back open.

* * *

"Severus?" She asked.

"Hermione, is it you again?" He said

Hermione looked up at him with wide eyes, "This baby is some kind of weapon, Severus."

Something clicked in Severus's brain and he grabbed his wand and said a spell she didn't recognize.

The wand glowed green and Severus had panic written all over his face.

"I believe, but I'm not sure, that you're carrying a dragon."

* * *

A/N :) Enjoy.


	22. Places I've Never Been

Chapter 22- Places I've Never Been

"You're not serious!?" Hermione exclaimed and took her hand off of her stomach. She looked like she was scared enough to just chopped the thing off.

"I said I wasn't sure, but it's the same kind of animal. A reptile." He explained trying to calm her down.

"Oh, well that's comforting Severus. Thank you." She snapped and got up from the sofa. She started to pace but he stood in front of her taking her hands in his.

"We'll find a way. In the end what will be the worst to happen? We'll get rid of it and you'll never have to see it again."

"I know that but I feel so scared. I want this thing out of me." Hermione said struggling against tears. Severus pulled her close and told her everything would be okay. Only inside he feared for her life.

Hermione finally got actual sleep a few hours later and Severus pulled out the book he'd ordered a week ago. It had detailed information on Leviathans. And while there hadn't been a Leviathan like Hermione, he still thought it applied.

He breezed through the sections he already knew about. They mind twisting in the beginning and the spread of the dark magic. He then reached a section on _worlds._

_One of the lessor known powers of Leviathan is that they have the power to jump into Alternate worlds or realms. They can only be there for minutes, or years depending on the training the Leviathan has. They have the power to shift through the worlds of the earth._

Severus moved onto the next chapter but there was nothing else on the matter. He had known the book wouldn't give him information on what was wrong with Hermione. He could still hardly believe it. His alternate self wanted to create a dragon to claim the world as his. It was mind boggling.

Hermione stirred in her sleep and he could tell she was somewhere else. He sighed, would she ever get a break.

Hermione let out a scream and a bright light blinded him for a minute. The brightness faded away and he opened his eyes, shocked.

Hermione stood there in front of him, but there was another Hermione standing right next to her.

"Merlin…" He exhaled. Hermione looked at the other Hermione with confusion.

"You came back with me?"

"I came on my own. I know this isn't my world but I…I didn't know…he kept it from me." She wasn't making much sense. Hermione touched her arm and steered her to the sofa.

"This thing, the dragon we created, it will kill me during the labor. There is no other way for it to be born. It burns you alive with the fire…" Both Hermione's reached for their stomachs.

"How did you create it?" Severus asked first.

"I drank dragon's blood on the night of conception." She answered.

Severus pulled his chair around and sat down with them, trying to wrap his mind around what just happened and what was being said.

"How do we know you're telling the truth? You're dark and enjoy killing children, remember?" Hermione asked hiding her fear well.

The dark Hermione sighed and looked her in the eye. "I give you my word on my husband's life. He may be vile and he may be trying to kill me, but I love him more than life itself." She said firmly.

"How can you even love?" Hermione whispered horrified by what she was hearing.

"Even monsters can love." She replied with an evil smile. Then she continued, "How much do you love your Severus?" Hermione glared at her but the other Hermione just laughed.

"How did you come with Hermione on her return here?" Severus asked ignoring their banter.

The Hermione looked at the both of them and then laughed nervously. "You're kidding, right?"

The both remained silent.

"Well my world, it's made of Leviathans and Elementals and we are raging a war to overtake the world, meaning to defeat all Elementals."

Silence met her declaration and she looked between the two with anxious eyes.

Hermione spoke first, "That makes a lot more sense. I wondered why I went into your world. It's because it's a Leviathan's world."

"What do you mean? You're a Leviathan too, right?"

Hermione looked at Severus, wondering if she should spill all her secrets. He nodded.

"I'm both. Elemental and Leviathan." Hermione told her and she saw the other Hermione eyes go round with surprise.

"How is that even possible?" She demanded her eyes darting between the both of them.

"It's a very long story. In short, my best friend was becoming a Leviathan and I tried to save her by going into her mind."

"That was a big mistake. I understand how you did it. It's a very dark place in a young Leviathan's mind. All the magic has been stirred up. It evens out after a few years and then you're pretty much the same with a warped sense of fun."

Silence again, "Oh god…" Hermione said and closed her eyes. She wished she could see Ginny right now to help her through this.

"So where is this other Leviathan, I'd love to have someone on my side here."

"She dead." It felt strangely final when she said those words and it made her eyes water. But she was done with tears.

"Leviathans are hard to kill. Who did it?" She asked smiling. She truly enjoyed hear about death.

"I did. She asked me to do it because she didn't want to be a monster. Severus…what if I made the biggest mistake of my life." She started to hyperventilate. Ginny didn't have to die, she could have lived!

"She made her own decision Hermione. You're not to blame." Severus told her softly. Hermione calmed down and in the next second the other Hermione spoke.

"So how'd you do it?" Hermione rubbed her face in disbelief. This was a Leviathan she reminded herself.

"I destroyed a black box." She said simply but the other Hermione understood.

"That would do it. You wouldn't make it into an adult Leviathan's head though. Too many natural defenses."

"How…how do we deal with this?" Hermione asked steering the subject away from Ginny. It seemed wrong to talk about her so plainly.

"I know how to get rid of it." The other Hermione said standing up.

Hermione got up with her and waited for her to continue.

"We have to destroy the creator." She said simply with no emotion. Hermione's eyes widened with fear.

"You don't mean…" Hermione trailed off.

"I do mean…Severus Snape, Leader of all Leviathans." She gave an evil smile and simply said,

"Just because I love him doesn't mean I can't kill him without a second thought."

* * *

A/N: If anyone is still lost just ask questions and I'll answer them! Thanks for all the reviews!


	23. She's So Mean

Chapter 23- She's So Mean

Severus Snape was an intelligent man. He had risen up in the world and was now a leader. A leader of a people who need someone such as him. His people obeyed his every word and he had the most beautiful and cruel wife there was. She was his and he couldn't have been happier. She was also carrying his precious weapon. With it he could bring fear and terror to all Elementals out in the world. Dragons were almost extinct in the worlds and he was very lucky he had managed to get a hold of the dragon's blood to make it possible. He was also being patient with his wife and even paid her more attention lately. After all she would be dead in a matter of weeks. No one, not even her, could survive a birth like that. The dragon's fire burns its way out and even the people nearby during the birth might die by its hands.

"Sir? We've searched the border and there are no threats." Severus nodded at the man, his right hand man.

"Also, we haven't seen our Lady anywhere, sir."

Severus turned his full attention to the man, "She's probably in our room resting."

"We've looked everywhere. I don't think she's in the castle."

"She has to be, our men would have seen her leave." Severus reminded him coldly.

"We'll keep looking, Sir." Severus nodded at the man and returned to staring out over the top tower.

Severus wasn't worried. Hermione knew how important it was to have this dragon. She understood that she needed to rest and wait for the end. Though she didn't know it was the end, Severus thought to himself with an evil smile.

* * *

"How will you do it?" Hermione asked the other Hermione.

"You've seen his sword I'm guessing. I'll use that. He sleeps with it in our room." Hermione thought that was strange but didn't question it.

"He won't suspect it because he doesn't know that I know about the birthing. I suppose you'll know if I succeed."

Without a good bye she faded away back to her world.

* * *

Hermione was back in her reality and she made her way back to their rooms the moment she got there. She didn't see Severus in there so she got into bed because truthfully her back was killing her.

Maybe an hour later Severus came in and he sighed when he saw her there.

"Inept fools! They've been looking all over for you and they didn't think to check here again?" Severus snapped and came to give her a kiss. Hermione kissed him back and slowly reached down to his waist where his sword was. She had it in her hands but in the next second Severus had her by the throat and raised the sword as if he might actually kill her.

"Betraying me…are you? Want the thrown yourself?" He asked and Hermione still couldn't breathe his hands were crushing her windpipe and she kicked and slapped him with her arms. The bottom line was that he was the stronger one and she didn't have the element of surprise anymore.

"You will die before this day is out." Hermione hissed as soon as he let her go. He laughed at her and smiled evilly.

"By your hand? I don't think so."

Hermione was the one to smile now, "I never said it would be my hand."

Severus hesitated for a moment, considering her words. Then he brushed the thought away and called for two of his men.

"Take her to the cell. One of the furnished ones." He ordered and Hermione was dragged away against her will. She could only hope that the other Hermione achieved what she hadn't.

* * *

"Severus, its been four hours. I think I need to go there. She must have failed."

Severus took her face in her arms, "And if you cannot come back?"

"I will die if I don't do this." Hermione reminded him.

"I know that. Would you rather die here or there in a world where you don't belong?" Severus asked and Hermione thought he was joking for all of one second.

"I…don't know how can I know that? I guess I would rather die here with you. So I wouldn't be alone."

"That's right, so again I ask what if you cannot come back."

Hermione thought for a long moment, "Have a little faith in me, Severus. I will do everything that I can to come back to you. Remember?"

Severus smiled just a little. "This…it's like before just different. Before you were trying to fight off the dark magic that clung to your mind and now you're battling what? Another world's war? When does it end? When do you get a break?"

Hermione thought for a second, "Things were set in motion the day I realized that I was an Elemental. You yourself said that there were a lot of people out there that would kill for this kind of power. And while I know you weren't predicting this you were fairly close."

"I need to do this, Severus. Or I die. Let me do this."

Severus's eyes clouded over but he nodded and pulled her into an embrace.

"Then you will need this." Severus released a hidden drawer in his desk and pulled out a sword with the most beautiful coloring she had ever seen.

"What is this?" Hermione asked.

"I am under an oath. I cannot tell you. But you will need it to kill him." She looked at him doubtfully, feeling as if she was missing something very important.

"Alright, I'll see you when I get back. I will come back Severus." She said and closed her eyes.

* * *

It felt like falling when she shifted to the other world. She was in a deserted hallway and Hermione tried to remember the way to the bedroom. She was sure he would be there.

She was right. Hermione pushed open the door and saw he was sound asleep. It took her a moment to get the courage to do it. She thought about the evil things this man had done. It was not her Severus.

She brought the sword up and plunged in into his gut. He awoke with a moan and his eyes expressed his complete shock.

"Hermione? How….damn it…how did you get out of your cell?" He asked but Hermione just twisted the sword and drove it deeper.

She pulled it out and plunged it again for good measure. He went limp and there was quite a bit of blood filling the sheets underneath him. She looked down at the sword and saw blood dripping from the tip.

She thought about just leaving then but she knew where the other Hermione was. The good in her wouldn't let her go without helping her. Though she had just killed the man she supposedly loved.

The cells were in the very bottom of the castle, a place she had never been before in her own world. There were dozens of them and she went to open the first one when a sharp pain went through her stomach it felt like knives were spinning around in her stomach. She coughed and blood came up. Her head started to spin and she heaved and heaved and something hot fell out of her throat. She looked down and saw a baby dragon lying on the ground, dead.

Hermione touched her stomach and sighed with relief when it was back to normal. She got up leaving the mess there and opened up the cell door. They weren't locked so Hermione assumed there was a different way to keep slaves or in this case his wife in the cell.

It was the seventh cell and there she found Hermione.

"You did it?" She asked hopefully. Hermione nodded with a smile and rested against the wall.

"You coughed it up as well?" She asked and Hermione chuckled.

"Scared me to death. I thought I was going to die anyway."

"You can't get me out, you know. Only he can and he's dead…so…."

"What about his blood?" Hermione asked curiously. The other Hermione grinned, "That'll work. Just smear it along the barrier I guess." Hermione raised the sword and wiped some of the blood off to let her out.

"Thank you. I suggest you leave before anyone sees you."

"You're welcome. I hope to never see you again though." Both Hermione's smiled at each other and Hermione shifted back to her world.

* * *

She opened her eyes and smiled but she frowned suddenly scared. She was definitely not in her world. She turned around and saw what looked like an army of thousands. She turned the other way and saw another army just as big. It was then she realized she was literally in the middle of a war. Then she heard war cries from both side and without a second thought they charged.

* * *

In Severus's opinion he was glad things played out this way. He looked down at his fatal wound and thought happily that at least he had protected Hermione. This way she could have a full life and move forward. She would achieve happiness. She was the brightest witch he had ever met and he knew she would succeed in life. He was just glad he had helped her get there. He fell into sleep with a peaceful smile.

* * *

A/N: ummmm I dont actually know what to say after that. Reviews? Let know if you hate it or if you love it or if your not sure!


	24. A Whole New World

Chapter 24- A Whole New World

Hermione spun around but cliffs were on every way. She picked her right side and just ran for it. She heard the army behind her sounding like a thousand elephants. Their war cries terrified her and she kept running and smashed into the oncoming army at full speed. She slipped through the crowd that seemed to go on forever. The upside was no one seemed to be paying much attention to her.

"You!" Hermione turned around and a man grabbed her.

"With a sword like that you could win us the war. Come and fight. You do not need to fear them." He said and with a wave of the sword she had armor from head to toe. It weighed a ton and she had no idea how he achieve magic without a wand. Was he using his sword as a wand?

"Tell me what I would be fighting for?" She countered, stalling. He turned to cut a man in half before turning back to her.

"Freedom from the dark wizards."

"That's a good reason…" Hermione didn't get to continue the conversation because a sword had just been thrust into his back. Hermione couldn't move but the sword itself spurred her into action. While she had never fought a war, the sword had.

She brought it down and fire spewed from the tip making the sword slide through his body like butter. Hermione smiled and joined the fight anew.

* * *

Severus woke and his wound was gone, as if it had never occurred and when he looked up and knew why.

"Surprise." An exact copy of himself said.

"You…"

"Me indeed." Severus got to his feet and could hardly believe his eyes. Why was he here?

"I was dying and I thought to myself, what a waste, you know? I shifted to this world and landed right in this room. It was just a lucky guess that I landed in the right world. Or maybe there is a different reason." The other Severus said eyeing his other self.

"We have no connection." Severus told him stepping away.

"Oh, but we do." The Leviathan pulled his sword out of its sheath and held it out for Severus to see.

"That is impossible…" He breathed but didn't reach for the sword. He knew better than that.

The Leviathan put the sword away and waited expectantly for Severus to do the same.

"Mine is with Hermione, but you knew that. She used it to kill you."

Severus apparently hadn't realized that but now that he did he smiled, "I sure could use another one."

Severus laughed at this other him, "You will never find her. I don't even know where she is. Not in this world and not in yours."

Severus, the Leviathan thought for a moment, "I think we mind need an expert on the worlds."

Severus frowned, "Where do you mean to find one?"

With a laugh the other Severus said, "I'm married to one."

* * *

Hermione had lost count of how many men she had ripped to shreds. It was quite disturbing to think about how much fun she was having. Hermione was covered in blood and dirt but she was in good spirits. She wasn't even tired but the sun was setting and the battle came to a close, but would go on once daylight was upon them once more. She followed the men back to the castle in the distance and they were giving her praise and passing fire whiskey around and around. Hermione drank more than she ever had but she had the mind to never let the sword from her person.

A loud piercing voice stopped the celebration.

"Do you lot think the battle is over and won? We have a war left out there! Do not forget that!"

All the men bent to their knees and Hermione copied them. The voice sounded…familiar.

"Yes, my queen." All the men chorused together and Hermione kept her eyes on the queen and when she turned to go Hermione saw a flash of red hair.

Hermione snuck away and followed the Queen out of the room. She hoped she was wrong. She was walking quickly not bother to hide that she was following her.

"What do you want?" The Queen said sharply turning around. The mask prevented her from seeing who she was.

"Your identity." Hermione answered as respectfully as she could. This world was unknown to her and for all she knew she could be killed for even talking to the Queen.

The Queen ripped away her mask and it was as Hermione thought. Ginny was the Queen.

"No…" Hermione whispered and Ginny smiled.

"You've me before haven't you?" She asked brushing her hair away from her face.

"Not in this world." Hermione said softly and all she wanted to do was pull her into a hug but she could not.

"And what were we in your world?" She asked curiously not at all fazed by the mention of other worlds.

"Close as sisters. But you're dead in my world now, which is why…I'm sorry. I'll be going." Hermione wiped her tears away and blood smeared all over, though it was still splattered on her face.

"No, come with me. I want to hear about your world. You have to be a Leviathan to move between the worlds, but I do not think I need to fear you. I understand you fought for our side anyway, correct?"

Hermione nodded and gripped her sword tightly. Ginny paid no attention to it and led her away. Hermione staggered a little still a little drunk but seeing Ginny had sobered her up quickly.

"So begin." Ginny said once they were seated in a room with a large round table.

"I'm Hermione Granger and I'm both a Leviathan and an Elemental."

"That is impossible and your first lie."

Hermione smiled, this Ginny, the one who was in power was awe-inspiring.

"I will tell you how then. The Ginny in my world was in the process of becoming a Leviathan. I tried to save her by entering her mind. In the end she asked me to kill her because she didn't want to become one. So I did. I killed her. But all her dark magic transferred somehow and I became a Hybrid. I've been through so much this year. It would take a very long time to explain everything." Hermione said. Would it be safe to tell her everything? Were there even Leviathans in this world? Were they in every world?

"It's a good thing that we have time." Ginny said firmly with a look that made Hermione regret ever coming to find her. She should have stayed with the men who were covered in blood like she was and drinking away their sorrows.

* * *

Severus's jaw threatened to drop but he didn't let that happen.

"She is an expert on worlds?" He asked incredulously.

"Isnt your Hermione bright? Why does it surprise you so?" He asked.

Severus shook his head, "Well then were done here. I truly hope you do not succeed."

The other Severus laughed and then faded away. Severus sank down onto the sofa and couldn't believe the mistake he had made in giving her the sword. He had put her in even more danger. And she didn't even know what the sword was. She had no idea the power she carried. With a heavy sigh he grabbed his wand to clean the blood off the floor.

* * *

A/N: Thought you guys might like this one earlier. Thank you for all the reviews, I made it to 100!


	25. A World of War

Chapter 25-A World of War

"Severus?" Hermione asked in shock. Severus grinned at her and pulled her in for a kiss.

"Thought you'd got me killed didn't you?"

Hermione laughed and embraced him. She was glad he wasn't dead. He was, after all, her husband.

"We have work to do." He told her seriously and Hermione looked up at him curiously.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"It seems that our other selves in that world also have the final weapon. Do you know what I mean?"

Recognition was in her eyes and then she looked mad, "I saw her have it and I didn't make the connection!"

"Love, it's all right. I have no idea either. This is what we have to do. She is stuck in some other world, lost. We just have to find her."

The plan settled they smiled at each other.

* * *

Hermione was sitting across from Ginny and had just finished telling her story.

"Well it was nice to hear it from you. I wish I could have stayed to help you, Hermione."

Hermione narrowed her eyes and clutched at the sword. What was she talking about? Ginny conjured something and hid it behind her back. She got up and walked around Hermione and stood behind her.

"I said I would always be with you." Then she brought a brush through her hair.

"Oh my god…" Hermione breathed and turned around so quickly that she almost fell over. Ginny was smiling at her.

"Sit back down and we'll have a little talk about how I got here. It's only fair since you told me your story." Ginny said with a laugh and she continued to brush her hair.

* * *

Severus was furious. He was teaching at the moment, he had a lesson for the sixth years and they were making a burn salve. Or rather they were failing to make a burn salve. He could hardly focus on anything. He had no idea where Hermione was it had been two whole days. He had no way to contact her or help her. He was just furious.

An explosion shook the whole room and Severus looked up in shock. Nothing in a burn salve would cause that kind of reaction.

The other Severus was standing there in the middle of the class and the students were screaming.

"Silence. Class dismissed." He ordered but the other Severus blocked the door.

"Wait just a second. I love kids! Let them stay." The other Severus said with an evil twinkle in his eyes.

Severus didn't hesitate in his actions. The other Severus was thrown sideways and slammed into the desks by Severus's hand. This was the first time he had used his magic that way and it felt _very _good.

The children ran from the room as fast as they could and Severus sighed with relief when they were all gone.

Hermione appeared and for just a second he thought it was his Hermione, but no it was the other one.

"We haven't had any luck searching for your girl so we've decided to draw her out. You'll be coming with us."

"Like hell…" Severus said but then he looked around. They were already gone. How was that possible?

"The two of us together is more than enough to move you without even touching you. Now, we'll just have to wait and see, I suppose."

"She won't know that I'm here." Severus told them. The other Severus laughed, "I left a note."

* * *

Hermione was reeling from Ginny's explanation.

"I'm a part of you and that means part Leviathan. When you shifted into that world, I don't know how, but I became real again. So I left you and went to find my own world, somewhere I could belong. I wish I knew how it happened but I don't. I never thought we would meet again, but you've proved me wrong. You'll have to come visit me…." Ginny trailed off and put the brush down. Ginny came in front of her and smiled.

"Now I have to ask, do you have any idea of what you're carrying?"

* * *

Severus was calm and silent. He knew Hermione would know it was a trap, or maybe she wouldn't know and she would be killed the second she got here. Severus hoped that Hermione hadn't found out what the sword was. She could be in any world and there might be others who have heard of such a weapon.

It had been passed down throughout the Elemental line. It was just luck that his great grandfather had owned the sword and it had been given to him when he was sixteen. Only he didn't know what it was until in a dream, his grandfather told him. There was only one way to find out and he swore he wouldn't do that, no matter the circumstances. But now, it seemed as though his other self, the Leviathan, he wanted to expose them all. He was supposed to be intelligent. Didn't he know the consequences of doing what he wanted to do? Severus thought that maybe he was too power hungry to think about such things. This Severus craved power like it was what kept the blood flowing to his veins. Severus had made the same mistake when he was seventeen and joined the Dark Lord. He had wanted power and dark magic is so seductive and persuasive. He wondered if it was the same for this Severus or if he was just dark because he was a Leviathan. Either way he was no friend to Severus and he was starting something that he would have to finish. It might even come to a war. While Severus had no army he would put up one hell of a fight. By nature Elementals have more power than Leviathans. Another thought he had was why they hadn't tried to feed on him. It was their nature to feed on Elementals so why not? What reason could they have from refraining to feed? These were pointless questions that he didn't have the answers to.

"I want the sword!" He heard someone yell.

"Sir, I've found her. She's in the world of war!"

"Alright! Everyone get ready because were joining a war! Let's go move it!" That was his other self and he had a horrible feeling.

Light footsteps came down the stairs to his cell and it was Hermione.

"Severus." She said as a greeting.

"Hermione." He countered. She smiled at him but he could tell the difference between her smile and his Hermione's smile.

"Ready to go?" She asked and he nodded. She opened the cell and took his hand ignoring the initial painful spark.

"Do you miss her?" She asked suddenly.

"Hermione? Of course." He answered softly.

"I miss Severus when he's away. I just wondered if it was the same between you two. There are so many similarities and differences between the pair of us."

"I agree. I only have the faintest idea of why your Severus and I are connected. I just can't figure it out." He was mostly talking to himself but Hermione laughed.

"It's the swords. They are what's binding you. Once the swords are activated then that bond with end."

The came to the upper level of the castle and Hermione kissed her Severus goodbye. It was then that Severus saw the size of the army. There at least 50 thousands soldiers.

"There are 75 thousand soldiers at my command." The Leviathan said to Severus. Severus sighed and kept his hands in Hermione to shift to the other worlds where his Hermione was.

* * *

Hermione was still talking with Ginny when she heard the sound of curses and yells.

"Retreat retreat!" They were yelling and Hermione and Ginny looked out the glass window. A huge army was charging the gates and Hermione spotted herself at the front of it. She was hand and hand with…her Severus. The Dark one was holding his sword and ran into the fight ready for battle.

"They've come for the sword. You seem to have brought a whole army with you." Ginny said with a heavy sigh.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know…"

"I'm not blaming you, but stating the obvious. I hope you plan to fight."

"Of course. I'm ready."

"You must listen to me. Do not let that sword into their hands. Protect it with your life."

Hermione looked at Ginny's serious face, "I promise."

"Good, now let's go join the fight."

Hermione made her way through the battle cutting down every Leviathan she came across. She was really looking for Severus.

"Hermione!" She turned around and saw Severus, her Severus fighting off Leviathans himself. She ran over to him and kissed his right on the mouth for a small second before slicing the head off the Leviathan try to drive his sword into her gut. Blood smeared over her feet but she ignored it.

She felt something grab her wrist and bend it painfully. The sword fell to the ground and before she could pick it up and foot slammed into her hand. Severus also reached for it but he was too late. The dark Severus had both swords and held them together for a moment and then there was a flash of light then a cloud of smoke. The battle stopped falling silent as they witnessed something incredible.

Two men she had only seen in photographs stood before her.

Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin.

* * *

A/N: Sorry I didn't update yesterday. Reviews please.


	26. Ancient History

Chapter 26- Ancient History

"What have you done?" Salazar said to them. Hermione was still staring in awe but both Severus's kneeled at their feet.

"It was I who released you." Dark Severus said looking up into his eyes.

"Stand." Salazar commanded. He looked around at all the faces and came to stand in front of Dark Severus. He conjured a sword and pointed it at each and every person there.

"You… this is your doing, you say?" He said to the dark Severus. Severus nodded and without a seconds hesitation he drove the sword into his gut and ripped it out clean. Severus fell to the ground and the Leviathan Hermione rushed to him. Hermione rushed to her own Severus but he didn't have the same wound.

"Their connection was severed when he activated us." Salazar said in explanation. Hermione smiled in relief but looked up at the two kings with anticipation.

"Why?" The Dark Severus asked with his last breath. Godric spoke for the first time.

"You swore an oath to watch and protect. Not watch and use when needed." He said and took a step closer to Salazar. Hermione had a very strange feeling suddenly.

Godric leaned over and whispered into Salazar's ear. Hermione felt as if she was missing something very important.

"All of you will be coming with us." Salazar said and a moment later they were in a new world. A world that was void of anything.

The only thing there was the white marble flooring and it just lead on to nothing. Hermione grabbed Severus's hand and Ginny's. The other Severus lay flat on his back, blood spilling over the white flooring. Hermione was holding his hand but she didn't look all that upset.

"Here is where the truth will be explained. We were never supposed to walk the earth again. Our time was over and we decided to be transformed. Everything was how it was meant to be. Until this weakling decided to take things into his own hands."

"What are you?" Hermione blurted. She just had a bad vibe from Salazar.

"I could ask you the same." He replied with a wide smile.

"I'm a hybrid, and you are?"

"I'm and Elemental."

Hermione's thoughts came to an abrupt stop. What?

"What? But… You're both Elementals?" Hermione asked curiously. Godric stepped forward and looked down at her.

"I'm a Leviathan. You are something that should not exist." He told her firmly. He leaned down to her level and held out his hand. Hermione placed her hand in his and was filled with a rush of immense power. It left her breathless and wanting more.

"You are half and half. Equally Leviathan and Elemental. You have more power than even I." Godric said looking at her with a searching expression, as if he wanted to find out all her secrets.

Hermione took her hand away from his and looked away from his intense gaze. She didn't want all this power! She hadn't really wanted it from the very beginning when she had made it rain in the courtyard. Even then she was scared and unsure of what was to come. But now she didn't have free will. This power was hers now and she would have to except that.

"Hermione?" Severus called. Hermione smiled at him squeezed his hand tightly. He smiled at her and did the same.

"Will he die?" That was the other Hermione who asked.

"Yes." Godric answered and Hermione moved to lie in his arms. The gesture was so intimate that Hermione buried her head into Severus's shoulder. Ginny spoke then, asking something Hermione hadn't even noticed.

"You are friends, aren't you?" She asked, getting to her feet. She walked over and stood in front of them.

They looked down on her with calculating expressions.

"You are a seer. And very wise." Salazar said.

"I am." Ginny answered. Godric held out his hand at the same time Salazar did. Ginny put her hands in theirs and let out a soft sigh. She was somewhere else, seeing things she couldn't see.

"Not friends at all. Brothers." Ginny said with a smile. Hermione's was shocked beyond belief. How could they be brothers?

"Now, that is a secret that had been kept for as long as I was born. We were separated at birth and found each other by chance. We both had our own powers and learned to use them to our advantage."

"I thought Elementals and Leviathans were naturel enemies?" Hermione said.

"No not at all. We are like two halves. They have a bond of friendship, or perhaps more than that." He said eyeing Severus.

"Okay so there was no danger. It was all in our heads?"

"Not entirely. No, but the darkness of your mind and the light of your mind are still merging. Once that is completed there is no danger. The dangerous part is when you aren't fully transitioned. The mix of raw magic is what caused the pain to touch." Godric explained.

"Oh." Hermione said at loss for words. Severus was being very quiet and when she followed his gaze he was looking at his other self, dying on the floor.

"Such a waste." He said.

"I agree." Salazar said and reached down to pull the other Hermione up.

"You'll be the leader he never was or could have been." He told her and a door appeared in the middle of the room.

"Go home to your world." He said and she looked at Severus once more before opening the door and stepping through.

"Ginny, you have a choice here. Go or stay?" Godric said softly. Ginny smiled brightly, "Go."

"Very well. I wish you all happiness. The darkness has passed and there will be no more battles. You've finished what needed to be done." Salazar said and another door appeared.

"You can go home now." They said together. Ginny opened the door and stepped through. Hermione and Severus followed, but she saw him glance back one more time at his other self.

* * *

Harry was in the Room of Requirement sitting on Hermione's bed. She'd been gone two whole weeks and everyone was getting worried. Harry was so alone. Ginny was gone and he couldn't bear to be with her family even though they were his family too. The whole place reminded him of her. It hurt so much to think of her and how she had died so young. He loved her so much and she's been ripped away just like Ron. How many more people had to die before he couldn't bear it and he drowned in his sorrow?

A door slammed into the floor and he couldn't believe his eyes. Ginny tumbled out of it and when she saw him she grinned.

"Harry." She said and was pushed forward by Severus and Hermione.

"Harry? What are you doing here?" Hermione asked.

"You've been gone for two weeks." He answered his eyes still locked on Ginny.

"Are you real or am I seeing things?" Harry asked them. Ginny leaned down to kiss him and Hermione could see tears slipping from his eyes.

"How?" He croaked wiping the tears away.

"She was a stowaway in my mind and in another world she managed to get out." Hermione answered. She was still covered in blood and dirt.

"Alright you two go catch up. I need a shower. Badly."

Ginny came over to her, "Thank you. I couldn't have asked for a better sister." She placed a kiss on her cheek before pulling Harry out of the room.

"We have to go see the family." She was telling him. The door shut behind them and Hermione turned to Severus.

"How about that shower?" She grinned.

* * *

A/N: This is the end. I thought I would have another chapter but it just worked this way. Sorry it took a few days. Thanks for all the support and I'm so happy you've all enjoyed it. Thanks again.

Mayajane.


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